Hi everyone! I hope your Spring Break is upon you just like ours is upon us. Who’s ready for a week off? Me!

I wanted to talk a little bit about the Career Fair we experienced last week, but then I decided to make this a series if you will. This Part 1 will focus mainly on the Career Fair and the opportunities it provides. Part 2 will focus on the actual career-readiness I believe the vast majority of Embry-Riddle students leave with.

The Career Fair or Career Industry Expo, was last Thursday, February 28th. It went throughout the day and had hundreds of employers in attendance. There are companies for every major and recruiters for internships and jobs.

Throughout the week there are lots of presentations from companies, big and small. At these smaller meetings, they discuss who they are and what they are looking for. If you are interested in a company, I encourage you to attend their info-session and bring your resume! They are there to recruit, so be on your A-game.

Companies also come in and talk to your classes. I had a representative from EAA come explain their company and what type of positions they’re recruiting for. When Boeing came in the fall, they even told us inside tips on how to nail the interview! This extra face time is great. Come to class with resumes and try to stay to talk with the presenter afterwards if you are interested!

I encourage you to look up pictures of the Career Fair if you haven’t. It’s very hectic, but fun! You can get a lot of swag and make a lot of connections. I think even if you are not interested in getting an internship or job, it is beneficial to go and get practice speaking with recruiters. You can build lasting networking connections as well as possibly get an internship or job! You just never know. Some companies will also critique your resume on the spot, so that is very helpful too!

After the Career Fair, there are some interviews that companies host. The Career Fair is for you to learn about the companies, but come in with some basic knowledge in case they pull you aside for an on-the-spot interview! Weeks before the date, they will have a list of registered attendees for you to begin researching.

Up to the Career Fair, Career Services does a lot of resume and interview prep. There are even lessons on how to improve your LinkedIn. Please take advantage of these opportunities as they are really beneficial. One thing I wish I would’ve done, even as a freshman, was regularly attend the Career Service events. They care so much about students, but they also work with these companies directly, so they may have insider tips as well.

You can also talk to your Professors for help. I had one Professor ask for us students to turn in our resumes. She then read them and made edits! I just can’t believe what an amazing university this is – one where your Professor assigns you to bring in your resume so YOU can get help. Amazing.

Overall, while I have not directly received an internship or job from the Career Expo, but I know people who have. I still think the experience is great. I learn professional business skills and grow my network. I have been able to take my elevator speech and use it in interview questions. My aviation knowledge also grows every Career Fair – plus you get cool swag!

Go – go when you are a freshman and even if you don’t need an internship or job. You grow as a person and that should be a good enough reason alone!

~ Maddie