By Bethany-Angel Chijindu, Staff Writer

Over the past few weeks, students here at Thunderbird have gone to the different career fairs: some attended the ASU career fairs closer to home, while others went as far as Philadelphia for the NMBAA/Prospanica Career Fair.

I was one of those who made the long journey to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and I am so glad that I did. It was a chance to get out of Glendale, but more importantly it was the chance to apply all that I had learned in the CMC classes since I started school in the Spring. These career fairs are a platform at which students not only practice their 30 second pitch, but also have a great opportunity to network with many companies in one location.

The Author at the Career Fair in Philadelphia

Attending a career fair, especially a large one like the one in Philadelphia, requires a lot of energy, stamina, and strength, since it is often an all-day event. If you are traveling from out of state, the best way to prepare is give yourself enough time to rest and recuperate from traveling; which may mean traveling a day or two days earlier than the event. It is also important to get accommodation near the event, to enable you to easily get to and from the event without having to spend too much time and money.

Another important thing to remember is to not give up. Many recruiters might say no to you, but there are so many companies out there. Many people target the bigger and well-known companies, so a wiser thing to do might be to get to the event very early in order to target the large companies, and spend the rest of the day talking with smaller companies where there is not too much competition.

There is also plenty that students need to do after they return from these career fairs. The first thing is to follow up with contacts that were made during the fairs. After securing your contacts, pay close attention to their companies by regularly checking their website to see whether there are positions available. If there are, go ahead and apply!

The CMC is a very helpful resource for students, as they will work with you on preparing for the career fair, tailoring your resume to fully align your skills with the job requirements, and helping you prepare for interviews.