I was only able to attend the internship fair on January 27, 2011 for maybe thirty minutes. I am really glad that I got to experience this because personally I thought it was very stressful and slightly intimidating. Seeing as I am an undecided major I was not particularly interested in too much they had to offer but now I can kind of now what to expect the next time I go to an internship fair. Most of the companies there were looking for business type majors or majors related to the business field and I know that if I had been a business major it would have been very helpful. A couple of the companies specifically asked me a few questions about what my major was and what year I was and what exactly I was looking for at this fair. I had to keep telling people that I really had no idea what my major was going to be and this was a little frustrating because then it seemed like I was not too important and that they really just wanted to get to know the business majors. I may have just been interpreting this the wrong way though. Hopefully the next time I go I will know my major and that will help out a lot I am sure.
It's interesting that some of the people asked you about your major, your year, and what you were looking for. I guess it would help to prepare for this experience before hand. You would really have to think about what it is that you're looking to get out of the internship fair. Maybe they ask you what you're looking for because it shows how confident you are and how passionate you are about the particular intership/job. Even if I wasn't that interested in the job at first I would still try to make it seem like I was really interested. I know that's not very truthful but it probably helps you grab the employers attention.
ReplyDeletechin up, ndwigans. I think it's great that you're getting a sense of things before you settle into a major. It's also not a bad idea to see which way the job-market wind is blowing, what types of opportunities different majors can look forward to and such. But Celeste is not wrong--these fairs can be serious affairs, where potential employers meet potential employees. In a way it's like a mini interview, so being direct, confident, and interested can only help.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Celeste that it is important to be prepared before attending the internship fair. In fact, on the University Career Service website, you can find all the companies/organizations that will be attending the fair, a short description of the internship position available, as well as the specific major, if any, they are looking for. The information can give you an idea of the event as whole, and help you identify any particular employer you may want to explore more about by talking with the representative during the fair. In this way, you can tailor your resume beforehand and figure out how to present yourself to the potential employer.
ReplyDeleteAnd even though you may feel a little out of place in this fair, you can still learn something useful: like the dress code, the your name tag (see Samantha’s post), what kind of questions the companies/organization representative would ask during such event, and etc.
Though I fear this will sound redundant I think it's very important to be prepared for in internship as if you were going to a job interview. I think it's also important to recognize that the interviewers will be seeing numerous people in one day so it is very important to make yourself stand out in a positive way. Employers are also very interested in Chapel Hill students so we need to make sure we make good use of this opportunity
ReplyDeleteI love that you have included the issue of your major ( or perhaps lack thereof in my case). It is sometimes difficult for those who are more undecided about their studies when it comes to acquiring experience in fields you wish to learn more about. Although I can thoroughly understand these frustrations, I can only imagine that the representatives of the attending businesses are more than familiar with your position. In cases such as these, I think it is important to be able to frankly express your concerns and possible studies, which does not necessarily make you look unprepared or unqualified.
ReplyDelete