We had a lot of fun at the Fall Career Fair.
On October 9th, we had over 50 employers and graduate schools at the NAU Fall Career & Graduate School Fair in the HLC. We saw many of our awesome Lumberjacks come and network, making meaningful connections. If you came, you might have noticed a difference between this event and the Part Time Job Fair in August.
Career fairs are professional events where students are expected to dress in business professional attire and network with employers about possible career opportunities. This means no wobbly club heels or jeans. It is okay if you felt under dressed! Use it as a learning experience to dress up professionally for the next event. Check out our Pinterest if you need some ideas!
While the Part Time Job Fair was focused more on part time employment for NAU students, Career Fairs are typically focused more on full time employment after graduation. However, that does not mean that you have to be a senior to attend. It is a great idea to attend the fair as an underclassman so that you can investigate different careers and begin to build your professional network. The Career Services Team was excited to see so many first years at the fair this year!
What should you be doing after the Career Fair?
So, you made a meaningful connection with someone during the event. Do you leave it at that? No!
Following up is important for keeping your name on an employer’s radar. Connect with them on LinkedIn and make sure that you personalize the connection invitation. If you’re still a little confused on LinkedIn, make sure you read my two part “How-To” here and here.
Preparing for the future.
If you came to the Career Fair and didn’t feel prepared, don’t fret. Come to Career Services walk-in resume/cover letter critique on Mondays/Wednesdays anytime from 11:30-1:00pm and 2pm-5pm to really make your resume stand out. You can also schedule an appointment with the Career Services Team to practice interviewing skills, create a strategy for your job search, or explore careers that you may be interested in. You should use the free time you have during winter break to find job shadowing opportunities, schedule informational interviews about fields or companies you’re interested in, or investigate internship opportunities.
We hope that you came and made some awesome connections with employers, and if you didn’t come, take the steps necessary to prepare for our next career fair!
We would also like to give a shout-out to our amazing volunteers from NAU HOSA and student athletes!