By Annabeth Reeb
As if graduating isn’t scary enough, starting a real life without advisors, booze or excuses, it’s getting even scarier with the lack of post-grad job options. Sure, our unemployment rate has dropped to 5.5, but that isn’t taking into account the college graduates working at Starbucks. Today’s bachelor degrees are yesterday’s high school diplomas, so you have to set yourself away from the pack if you want to stand out. Being an Aggie helps, with extra connections and unity, but sometimes it isn’t enough. Luckily, there are a few professional development events that can help you get ahead of the game.
Career fairs are an obvious and excellent tool for finding opportunities and networks in your field. Going to career fairs while still working on your undergrad is a great way to get a head start and feel a little more prepared for life after graduating. Here’s a few this week:
Engineering Career Fair
January 26 & 27, 2016, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, Reed Arena
AGLS Career Fair (College of Agriculture and Life Sciences)
February 2, 11am – 4pm, MSC – Bethancourt Ballroom
Business Career Fair
February 3 and 4, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm, Reed Arena
Retailing Career Fair
February 2, 2016, 9:30am – 3:00 pm, Wehner Lobby
The key to making a good impression at a career fair is a great résumé. Before each career fair, the host college typically puts on a pre-fair workshop, which not only prepares you for talking with different guests, but also helps you finalize the perfect résumé.
Preparing for the Business Career Fair (with Protiviti)
5:30 pm January 28th WEHNER BUILDING (WCBA)
Strategies for Career Fair Success for Liberal Arts Majors
5:30 pm February 3rd RUDDER TOWER (RDER)
A good résumé is important because it says a lot in a small amount of time. Career fairs only offer you a few minutes to make good impressions on possible future employers, therefor good communication is key.
Interpersonal Communication Skills
8:30 am January 27th GENERAL SERVICES COMPLEX (GSC)
Communicating with Impact: Make Your Conversations Count
1:30 pm February 1st GENERAL SERVICES COMPLEX (GSC)
Express Interviewing
3:30 pm February 2nd PAVILION (PAV)
Lastly, in a world like today, knowing your way around a computer is essential. With almost everything online, employers are looking to hire people who are equipped to manage multiple programs including word, excel, PowerPoint, adobe, and more. While our generation grew up around computers and smart phones, an extra workshop on these programs can always help.
Microsoft Access 2013 – Essentials
8:30 am January 27th GENERAL SERVICES COMPLEX (GSC)
Adobe Acrobat XI Pro – Essentials
8:30 am January 28th GENERAL SERVICES COMPLEX (GSC)
Microsoft PowerPoint 2013 Template Design
1:30 pm January 28th GENERAL SERVICES COMPLEX (GSC)
So while leaving the world of simultaneous never-ending-fun and never-ending-studying that is college is absolutely terrifying, rest assured that a little bit of preparation can give you a leg up on the competition.
If that fails, just find an employer with an Aggie ring – it worked for most of us.
