2008 Woodie Awards
Stocking up at the Career Fair
Robert Dora
Issue date: 1/28/08 Section: Opinion
It hasn't quite been six months, yet our campus has been overtaken again. Bodies flew through Cheel in a blur last Thursday and Friday, with their ties trailing behind them.
Clarkson University was once again blessed by the Career Fair. Many students that were unaware of the fair's arrival mistakenly chose to eat at Cheel. Most were swept into the frenzy; several of them survived.
The Career Fair provides many opportunities. Different people come looking for these different opportunities. Some need full-time jobs, while others are looking for co-ops or internships.
Regardless, each student goes through a similar process. The meeting starts with handshakes and introductions. The recruiters then take your resume, and begin with a short spiel about the company.
Most companies conclude the discussion in the same way. They tell you that they'll give someone your resume, but that you need to submit it electronically to get a position.
Technology has become an integral part of the job hunt. It has become so important, that many aspects of the Career Fair are fairly obsolete. We're at a point where it would be beneficial to set up some computers next to each station so you could apply after talking with the companies.
The Career Fair is good experience and can help secure you a job in a few instances, but it has its problems. There hardly seems to be a point in going, when you can accomplish more by sitting on your bed with a laptop, than by talking to a company's employees.
There are some things, however, that cannot be simulated in an online environment. There is a hidden purpose to the fair, the distribution of free stuff.
Personally, I don't even shop anymore. I just wait until the Career Fair happens, so that I can stock up on essentials like pens, pencils, note pads, laundry bags, chips, paper, batteries, toys, and other random items. Does it even really matter where you work, as long as they give you a cooler? If you stop at the P&G table you can stock up on a semester's worth of shampoo and toothpaste, and if you head over to Frito Lay you can even find lunch.
Clarkson University was once again blessed by the Career Fair. Many students that were unaware of the fair's arrival mistakenly chose to eat at Cheel. Most were swept into the frenzy; several of them survived.
The Career Fair provides many opportunities. Different people come looking for these different opportunities. Some need full-time jobs, while others are looking for co-ops or internships.
Regardless, each student goes through a similar process. The meeting starts with handshakes and introductions. The recruiters then take your resume, and begin with a short spiel about the company.
Most companies conclude the discussion in the same way. They tell you that they'll give someone your resume, but that you need to submit it electronically to get a position.
Technology has become an integral part of the job hunt. It has become so important, that many aspects of the Career Fair are fairly obsolete. We're at a point where it would be beneficial to set up some computers next to each station so you could apply after talking with the companies.
The Career Fair is good experience and can help secure you a job in a few instances, but it has its problems. There hardly seems to be a point in going, when you can accomplish more by sitting on your bed with a laptop, than by talking to a company's employees.
There are some things, however, that cannot be simulated in an online environment. There is a hidden purpose to the fair, the distribution of free stuff.
Personally, I don't even shop anymore. I just wait until the Career Fair happens, so that I can stock up on essentials like pens, pencils, note pads, laundry bags, chips, paper, batteries, toys, and other random items. Does it even really matter where you work, as long as they give you a cooler? If you stop at the P&G table you can stock up on a semester's worth of shampoo and toothpaste, and if you head over to Frito Lay you can even find lunch.
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