The Spring semester of my freshman year, a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to attend the Career Fair with her. The idea not only intrigued me, but it also intimidated me. I proposed the idea to other friends and older peers told us that it would not benefit a freshman to attend the fair. Even though this was discouraging, my friends and I decided to attend anyway. We decided there was no way it could hurt.
We sifted through each other’s closets and threw together appropriate outfits to wear and then navigated our way to the Dean Dome, where the fair was held. Not going to lie, it was extremely intimidating when I first walked in and saw all of the employers and older UNC students. Everyone seemed like they were confident and knew exactly what they were doing. I did a couple laps and then finally got the courage to introduce myself to a few employers. Most of the employers told me that they were looking for older students, but that they commended my efforts. Some other employers took my resume and I even received a few emails afterwards.
Overall, the experience was well worth it. Every employer I spoke to was impressed by how proactive I was and said that it was great I was getting experience in these types of settings. Even though it took a lot of courage and was intimidating at first, I gained a lot of confidence. Now, I am ready to attend more of these events and I am confident in my ability to speak to employers and apply for internships or jobs. Regardless of your grade or age, I recommend visiting a Career Fair and giving it a shot.
Paige Balint
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 2018