...And what you did is make the Tufts Career Fair a hit! 160 employers and over 1,100 students stopped by Gantcher on Wednesday to
network, learn about job and internship opportunities, and hopefully begin the
process of securing a post-graduation career!
Despite a few hiccups—I forgot my dress shoes and ties at
home, so I had to borrow an explosively pink tie from my roommate and wear
Sperrys, not to mention my epic wipeout while rushing to the Fair in the rain—I
made it to the Fair shortly after it began. It certainly brought back memories
of last year—confusion set in, but this time more muted, perhaps because of the
lack of general anxiety that seems to pervade all of freshman year. After
chatting with Nicole about live tweeting the fair (follow the Tufts Career
Center on Twitter if you don’t already!) I took a lap around the fair to get an
idea of what to expect. Although I personally didn’t come looking for an
internship, I talked with several employers and students about the Career Fair
and their thoughts on younger students’ attendance thereof:
Student Interviews: Shaan Shaikh, Alex Tong and Jenna Weinstein,
members of the class of 2017.
Q: Why did you come to the Career Fair?
Shaan: “I’m looking for a summer internship.”
Alex: “Can’t hurt to look around and check it out.”
Jenna: “I’m hoping for an internship and some networking
experience.”
Q: What made you decide to attend as a sophomore, when the
general belief is that these events are meant for seniors?
Shaan: “There’s no harm in getting an early start, and it’s
always good to learn how it works for when I come back next year!”
Alex: “Plus a lot of these companies will be here next year
too, so meeting the recruiters now is a great conversation starter for the next
time around.”
Jenna: “I want to start making connections as soon as I can.
Plus it’s good practice to come now, when the stakes aren’t as high.”
Employer Interviews: Heather Woodcock, recruiter for the
Shady Hill School Teaching Residency, and Elizabeth Morini, from DebtX Debt
Exchange.
Q: What do you think are the benefits of coming to a college career fair?
Heather: “There are tremendous benefits. Events like these
give students exposure to what’s out there, things they may not have known
about. They can establish contacts, figure out what they really want in a
career… The list goes on. I’d really encourage students to attend.”
Elizabeth: “It gives students an avenue to talk with
multiple employers, and even find new interests. It’s a great learning
experience overall.”
Q: Can any of these benefits be reaped by younger
(non-senior) students?
Heather: “Certainly. Students can better plan about what
they want. They can see what’s out there and not feel limited in their choice
of careers.”
Elizabeth: “Off the top of my head, I think it’s an
important learning experience. Students can practice talking to adults in a
professional manner and get comfortable doing so.”
Q: What do you look for in an ideal candidate? What makes a
student really stand out to you?
Heather: “I run a teaching program, so I’m interested in why
a student wants to teach—what are their reasons for pursuing the field? I also
look for people who are personable, passionate about teaching, and empathic. It’s
definitely a function of personality. I don’t necessarily look at how a person
dresses; personality and substance are definitely more important than
appearance. I also am always interested in the types of questions students ask.
It’s usually a pretty good indicator of who they are and what they’re looking
for.”
Elizabeth: “I look for someone who is engaged and friendly.
They definitely have to be personable. My rule is that if I make eye contact
and smile, and they smile back, I know it’s going to be a good conversation.”
Maybe it’s the psychology major in me, but I’m intrigued by
the similarities between the interviewees’ responses. All of the students, for
example, mentioned that it’s great to get a head start, and the employers had
similar opinions. Although both mentioned that they mostly recruit seniors,
they seemed very open to talking with younger students as well—one of them
even gave me a little career advice of my own after I explained my (rather
confusing) situation to her!
I hope this post has shown what its title claims: the Career
Fair isn’t limited to upperclassmen. If you think you’ll be all alone at the
Fair as a freshman, think again—besides the people I interviewed, I saw
countless other students with "2017" and “2018” scrawled on their name tags. If you didn’t
get the opportunity to go this year, check out the spring Career Fair.
It’s just one of the amazing resources available to you—take advantage of it!
Until next time,
Sean Boyden
Class of 2017
Until next time,
Sean Boyden
Class of 2017
