Red River Career Expo 2017 – Job Fairs, Job Shadowing & Internships Are Worth It.

When I was an undergraduate, the one thing I used to ask myself was, are job fairs, job shadowing and internships really worth it? At times, they seemed quite redundant…futile even. I mean, no “real jobs” would hire me because I was a full-time student and could not make any full-time career commitments until I graduated. In a perfect world, I hoped they would recognize my value, see I possessed an indispensable skill set and be willing to “hold my spot” until I was finished with my education. This of course, was incredibly unrealistic. Nevertheless, as undergrads we were encouraged to participate and attend these functions often.

I lived in the Career Services Center at Cameron University. I spent a lot of time on The College Central Network (CCN) searching for local and national internships and employment opportunities. I knew the resources that Career Services provided was crucial to the success of my future job placement. I made sure to take full advantage of these resources while I was a student.

Ways to Utilize The Career 

Resources Center

• Learn more about career development, job searching, interview tips & resume writing.
• Receive personalized assistance with developing cover letters, resumes & interview skills.
• Explore a wide range of occupations and majors.
• Receive assistance in locating & coordinating internships.
• Access hundreds of job postings for full-time or part-time jobs.
• Learn about upcoming job fairs.

I read books and watched dvds on How to Create Job Winning Resumes, The Best Interview Questions to Ask and How to Tailor My Appearance for Success in the Workplace. Any free time I had, if there was such a thing, was spent improving my resume, investigating various career fields and actively weighing my options regarding an assortment of employment choices.

The most beneficial asset to my current employment was actively participating in a full-time internship. With that being said, I can also honestly say that taking part in Cameron University’s many job fairs and job shadowing opportunities led me in the right direction as well. It let me know that the company I was interning for was the absolute best fit for me.

If by chance they were not hiring in any departments or positions of interest at the time of my graduation; I had a plan for mentally handling unemployment as well. I was reassured in knowing I networked thoroughly at previous job fairs and could call another company and inquire about an interview at any time.

Benefits of of Job Fairs, Job Shadowing and Internships

• It familiarizes students with the mission of the workplace in addition to informing them of company policies and procedures.
• Employers can provide a quick overview of the company as well as share essential career advice and valuable tips on work/life balance.
• You can openly ask questions to better grasp the atmosphere of the work environment and types of skills necessary for the job.
• Employers can share their individual career paths and how they made their own career decisions.
• Employees are able to share hiring policies and inform potential applicants of what they look for in an employee.

This Thursday, February 16, 2017, The Red River Career Expo 2017 will take place at the Cameron University Aggie Rec Center from 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm. I highly recommend everyone attend. Whether you’re looking for gainful employment, looking to change jobs or just want to see what’s available in our local job market; this is definitely the place to be. See you there!