YouAlberta
I have attended the University of Alberta for six years now, I’ve worked at the Career Centre for one, and yet I have never attended Careers Day. Well, that changes this year.
This year the Career Centre’s Careers Day is a virtual career fair on September 29 (registration is open now!). A ton of different employers will be there, and you can see a full list here! But what, you might ask, is the point? Well, Careers Day is an amazing opportunity for you to chat with a variety of companies to see what kinds of career opportunities they have and what degrees they are looking for (you may be surprised!). It’s also a wonderful way to practice talking to employers even if you are not about to graduate or are not currently looking for a job. Talking to potential employers and networking is a skill that can take time to develop, especially if you are an introvert like me. Careers Day is a wonderful low-stakes way for you to practice that skill.
Here is what I am doing to prepare (and what I suggest you do, too)
Check out the Career Centre's guide to virtual career fairs
The guide has tips for everything from dressing to communicating to tips for updating your LinkedIn profile.
Ensure your virtual background is professional
My computer camera faces a bunch of windows so it can be difficult to see me sometimes. So, I am experimenting with different backgrounds in my apartment to see which one is most professional and will be least distracting to employers.
Plan your outfit
I’m notorious for wearing a nice top during virtual meetings, but also having my bunny pyjama pants on. Don’t be like me. You never know if the employer will ask you to stand up to see how you are dressed and you don’t want to be wearing a blazer and BUNNY PYJAMAS. TRUST ME. Also, dressing well can inspire confidence and help put you in the right mindset.
Prepare your elevator pitch
You’ll have just a few minutes with the employer at the virtual booth so it’s important to have a brief introduction of yourself! You want to make sure that you are memorable and stand out, so having a quick pitch prepared can help ensure that you make a good impression.
Review the companies who will be attending
I might not have a chance to talk to all of the employers present, so my plan is to make sure I speak to the ones who stand out to me the most. I plan to also research the companies a bit so I can answer any questions they may have about my knowledge of the company. I highly recommend doing this because that is not an uncommon thing for employers to ask.
For more information on Careers Day click here.I hope to see you there!
About Laura
Laura is in the third (and hopefully final!) year of her Master's degree studying Classical Languages. She can always be found with her nose in a book. Whether it's academic reading or for pleasure, she will read pretty much anything and she's passionate about languages like Middle Welsh and Ancient Greek. Laura adores animals and fosters the cutest bunny in the world and in her spare time loves to knit socks for her loved ones!