Tips and tricks for success from Florida International University Career Fair attendees

Last month, hundreds of students lined up at booths hoping for a chance to advance their career at Florida International University’s fall career fair. This once-a-semester event took place in the Ocean Convocation Center at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus, where all FIU students and alumni were welcome to join.

Dozens of prestigious employers such as Ford, the FBI and Pfizer were present at this semester’s fair, providing aspiring students with a chance to discuss and make an impression on real employers face-to-face during a time where resumes are often rarely read.

Carrying around a large binder filled with copious notes on the companies and dozens of copies of his resume, third-year computer science student Adrian emphasized the importance of being well prepared.

“What majors are they hiring from and what year level?… Are they hiring software engineers?” He said, explaining how these details are important to research and take note of before going to the event.

Students can find all the information on career fairs organized on Handshake, an FIU-affiliated web platform for career search. There, the majors those companies are hiring for and the types of positions they have open, will be listed for any attendee to reference.

Transfer student Kevin Parro emphasizes the value of preparation as well, citing researching into the companies’ backgrounds as an important step.

“I think that’s one of the main important steps one should do in order to succeed in the career fair,” said Parro. “Just reach out to the company, take a good look at their statements or values, or maybe just subscribe to their career news and see any updates on their products.”

Aligning with employer values helps you to make a better first impression when talking with them at the booths. A first impression is crucial when landing an internship, and Parro was confident that he would get one in no time based on his strategies.

Above all though, you must be determined, and apply, apply, and apply. Adrian says to even “be ruthless if you have to” and to “consider getting an interview a success.”

Christian Callaway is a junior majoring in Computer Science BA with a certificate in visual production at Florida International University. He hopes to become a software engineer in the near future and put his passion of app development to practice. He currently enjoys playing indie games and bringing his imagination to life through programming, writing, and art.