• I’m just a first-year. The career fair is only for juniors and seniors.
• I’m an English major. The companies at the fair only want business majors.
• I’m looking for a summer internship – they only want people looking for jobs after graduation.
The above quotes are common misconceptions that I have I have heard from students over the years about career fairs on campus. I would like to take a moment to clarify these misconceptions.
I’m just a first-year. The career fair is only for juniors and seniors.
First years are welcome at our fairs! Sophomores and juniors too. I would recommend that students of all classes attend a fair so that you can start building connections with employers. In fact, I would suggest you attend before you are searching for a full-time job so you can become familiar with the atmosphere of a fair – It will take away some of the pressure of being in an unfamiliar situation.
I’m an English major. The companies at the fair only want business majors.
Employers who attend our fairs truly value UNC students and a liberal arts education. In fact, the vast majority of organizations do not specify a certain major that they are looking for. You can be a philosophy major, a math major, or an English major and find opportunities at our fairs.
I’m looking for a summer internship – they only want people looking for jobs after graduation.
For first years, sophomores, and juniors, career fairs are a great place to find internships. The employers that attend fairs offer internships in all fields in addition to full time employment.
UCS offers 12 career fairs throughout the course of the fall and spring, and we hope you will check them out. If you have any questions on how to prepare for the fair, schedule an appointment and a counselor will be glad to help you. Check out the list of upcoming events at http://careers.unc.edu
By Christy Walker, Assistant Director