Last week, I was able to visit over 30 tables and connected with 40+ employers and representatives during the Job Fair. Within three hours, my folder was densely packed with fliers of job listings, volunteering opportunities, and personal business cards.
But it wasn’t as easy as it sounded. Despite all the practice and preparation, nothing readied me for the moment. All around, the sea of students was deeply engaged with their peers, employers, and administrators, seemingly unbothered by the prying eyes and barrage of questions.
The atmosphere was invigorating and the level of efficiency fairly impressive. There were representatives from the Magner Career Center placed on most floors, welcoming students warmly. On some floors, I saw representatives helping students nonstop, guiding and answering questions.
One issue that confused many students was the placement of companies. I can’t come up with an explanation of why companies in the same/similar niche would be on different floors/rooms. Would consolidating companies within the same major not be a more effective way? First, it alleviates the confusion in students, saving time and effort for representatives. They could use this time to do more welcoming and overlooking rooms to make sure things run smoothly.
But that is also dependent on the employers, some of whom seem to have had time and attendance issues. A few tables were still empty at 12:30 PM, an impediment to students who were actually interested. I asked multiple representatives about their whereabouts with no concrete answer in the end. It was either they show up or they didn’t.
To be clear, that’s not the fault of the college or the event organizers. It is just a problem that needed to be voiced because many people think it’s workers who need employers when it is very much vice versa. Employers need employees just as much as the latter does. Common issues like time and attendance and being responsible are not things that are limited to only one party, so an issue like this does not put those companies in a good light.
Regardless, those issues did little to impact the overall success of the convention. The attendance rate of students was high, and lots of value and opportunities were happening in that building. Big applause to the Magner Center and its affiliating teams that made this possible for us.