Why you should go to the career fair anyway (when you’d rather die than talk to strangers with job titles and probably no student debt)

I’m honest with people about my path in life. I worked really hard to get into the college I’m currently at, but when I got here I realized it didn’t feel like me. I don’t want to run off on another tangent here… I just want to hone in on why it’s so important to keep trying, even in unlikely places. Especially in unlikely places.

College sucks.

You lose millions of dollars (exaggeration), drink too much (sometimes), and cry for you mom on Mondays (or Monday-Wednesday… or, like, every day).

College also doesn’t suck.

Beyond the pressure of doing well, there’s new friends and adventures and all that cliche stuff that’s only cliche because it’s true.

On top of all of this, there is also a career waiting for you on the other side. Hopefully. That’s what people go to college for, right? It’s a pretty intimidating idea. What if four years pass and there’s nothing waiting on the other side? What if you reach the finish line and don’t feel any different than when you started?

Regardless, let’s talk career fair. What’s not to love about a bunch of professional powerhouses in one massive location? What’s not to love about trying to iron your shirt with a hair straightener and then running out of time to actually straighten your own hair? What’s not to love about drowning in a sea of suits, where you’re afraid no one will see you?

Not my ideal day. Quite a stretch, actually. But let me tell ya, Sophomore year I went to the career fair for practice, and it changed my life.

A simple connection I made there, talking to a random lady, landed me an internship a year later, which took me onto some incredible learning and career opportunities. I hate to think what would be different if I hadn’t gone to the career fair. If I hadn’t accepted a few hours of networking and feeling out of place.

Opportunity is knocking, undergrads. Pick up your portfolio and answer.

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