Undergraduate Blog / Career Development

Should First-Years go to the Spring Career Fair?

This blog post was written by Peer Career Ambassador, Julian Parra ’20.

You found out that the Spring Career Fair is going to be taking place on Thursday, February 27, 2020, at BRAC. You saw it in the newsletters, you heard from friends, and maybe even spoke to a career advisor about the event and how more than 50 employers, actively looking for Babson students, are going to be in attendance. But now, you’re thinking to yourself, “are these companies even looking for freshmen? Some might be, some might not be. Either way, we think it’s important for you to attend. Keep reading if you want to know why. 

First, some companies may actually be hiring first years! I personally know a handful of first-years who have been able to secure summer internships from attending the career fair this past Fall, so it is definitely possible. It is up to YOU to look up the companies participating in Handshake. You will be able to find out specifically which companies will be represented, what positions they are looking to fill, and if they are looking for first-years. You never know what opportunities are out there unless you take the initiative.

Third, we cannot emphasize this enough: the Career Fair is a great opportunity to network! Did you know that, according to research, 70% of people end up in their current lines of work thanks to networking? Even if a particular company isn’t hiring first years, you can meet recruiters who will be looking for you next year. It’s never too early to start developing your network. When you attend the Career Fair the next year, the recruiter may recognize you, or even better: they will definitely know you if you made sure to maintain and develop the relationship with that recruiter over time. I encourage you to check out Alex Martiros’s blog to learn some tips and tricks for making the most out of the fair. Also, did you know CCD has a podcast? We have a quick five-minute episode out now, also describing ways on how to work the room. 

Related to networking, the Career Fair is an amazing opportunity to practice sharing your story and excelling in a professional setting. If you were in an elevator with your role model in the professional world, and he or she asks you to tell them about yourself, what would you say in 60 seconds or less? Although you do not want to memorize this line by line, you want to get an idea of the reasons why you are attending the event in the first place, your interests, and your value-add to any organization. 

Moreover, through talking to different recruiters and alumni, you can have a better understanding of where you see yourself interning or working after graduation. Be sure to ask them questions about what their favorite parts about their jobs or companies are, what they do on a day-to-day basis, and about any trends they see affecting their industry anytime soon. Afterward, ask yourself if you can see yourself doing the work that they were describing in the future. This can motivate you to pursue that career even more, or it may make you rethink some things, and that’s totally okay as well! 

Finally, free swag! Although this shouldn’t be the main reason why you are attending the career fair, it’s always an added bonus of attending. 🙂

Happy networking!