{"613726":{"#nid":"613726","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Career Fairs in Your Student\u2019s First-Year, and Beyond","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEach year the Center for Career Discovery \u0026amp; Development (affectionately called \u0026ldquo;C2D2\u0026rdquo;) hosts two career fairs. The Fall All-Majors Career Fair is the largest career fair on campus, with more than 5,100 students visiting over the two-day event. This year\u0026rsquo;s fall fair also brought 363 of the world\u0026rsquo;s leading companies to campus to recruit Tech students for internships, co-ops, and full-time positions.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe second fair hosted each year happens early in the spring semester. This year\u0026rsquo;s \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/career.gatech.edu\/spring-all-majors-career-fair\u0022\u003ESpring All-Majors Career Fair\u003C\/a\u003E will be hosted at McCamish Pavilion on January 16-17, 2019. Typically, the spring fair is a one-day event, but the past few years have been so well-attended that the event had to be stretched over two days. The expanded format will allow more companies to come on campus to recruit your students.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne question that always comes up around fair time is, \u0026ldquo;should I attend the fair as a freshman\u0026rdquo;? The short answer is: absolutely! The Career Fair is open to students from all majors and class levels and is an excellent opportunity for networking and professional development.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIf your student is anxious about attending the fair, Andrea Comsa, senior director of career education at C2D2 has some very helpful tips:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EPrepare for it.\u0026nbsp;Preparation is key before attending a career fair. Make sure your resume is professional and highlights relevant skills and experiences.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EReview the career fair layout and have a plan.\u0026nbsp;The scale of the fair can be intimidating and overwhelming if you do not have a plan. Use the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/career.gatech.edu\/careerbuzz-go\u0022\u003EJobs and Careers\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003E app to identify the top 10 companies you want to visit.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EResearch participating companies.\u0026nbsp;Knowing who the participating companies are and what they are looking for is important. Browsing and researching the companies ahead of time can provide a marketable advantage to candidates. A list of companies is available \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech-csm.symplicity.com\/events\/ff918e3b0c15bbeab0e7a777276c32a1\/employers\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E. Find out what positions the participating companies are recruiting for by navigating the list of jobs in CareerBuzz.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EKnow your elevator pitch.\u0026nbsp;Articulating the value you bring and showcasing your skills and experiences can distinguish you as a candidate.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are also a few common mistakes first-timers can make that can be easily avoided:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EBe professional. Although this may seem obvious enough, professionalism is more than just attire. \u0026ldquo;Recruiters need to see students as young professionals, not as college students,\u0026rdquo; said Lindsay. Avoid clumping in groups with your friends, and resist the urge to grab all of the free items. \u0026ldquo;Students are attracted to the freebies, but it is not professional to trudge through with a bag full of stuff.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EGo early in the day. \u0026ldquo;Recruiters are burned out by the end of the day, and some employers might pack up early,\u0026rdquo; said Lindsay. He recommends getting to the fair as early as possible to catch recruiters when they are most alert and engaged.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EFollow Up. \u0026ldquo;Don\u0026rsquo;t wait too long to follow up with the recruiter,\u0026rdquo; said Lindsay. To stand out from the crowd, students should say something memorable\u0026nbsp;that they can refer to in the follow-up, to help recruiters remember the conversation. \u0026ldquo;Take notes after speaking with the recruiters. Ask for their business cards and take notes on the back.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u0026ldquo;If a company is known as an aerospace company, that does not mean they are only recruiting aerospace engineers,\u0026rdquo; said Lindsay. \u0026ldquo;Companies are multi-faceted and need people in many different areas.\u0026rdquo; Lindsay encourages students to treat the fair like a strategic networking event. \u0026ldquo;If the recruiter is not recruiting for the area you\u0026rsquo;re interested in, then ask for a contact in your field. If all else fails, ask for a human resources contact.\u0026rdquo;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDon\u0026rsquo;t forget to encourage your student to participate, even if it feels a little daunting. It\u0026rsquo;s never too early to start their career, and there\u0026rsquo;s no better place to start that journey than at a Georgia Tech career fair. If your student hasn\u0026rsquo;t had time to practice their \u0026ldquo;elevator pitch\u0026rdquo; or work on their resume, don\u0026rsquo;t worry! C2D2 has a number of free workshops hosted throughout the year to help with just that (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/career.gatech.edu\/workshops\u0022\u003EC2D2 Workshops\u003C\/a\u003E). And if your student needs to borrow business attire, the Georgia Tech Campus Closet offers free suit rentals. Visit their \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.campuscloset.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Ewebsite \u003C\/a\u003Efor more information on how to borrow from their selection of business attire.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Each year the Center for Career Discovery \u0026 Development (affectionately called \u201cC2D2\u201d) hosts two career fairs."}],"uid":"27244","created_gmt":"2018-11-02 15:02:16","changed_gmt":"2018-11-02 15:02:16","author":"Sara Warner","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2018-11-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2018-11-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1298","name":"Parent and Family Programs"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["parents@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}