Acquiring a job or an internship is one of the biggest hurdles for college students. The Head of the Lakes Job and Internship Fair, hosted by UWS Career Services, is one way in which local students can get a headstart. Photo by Kerrigan Vig.
Finding an internship is hard, draining and sometimes downright depressing. Getting rejected repeatedly is never great for keeping a person in high spirits. I was in search of an interview. Tired of applying for internships and not getting a single interview, I registered for the 2021 virtual Head of the Lakes Job and Internship Fair in early February.
Knowing that my resumé needed to be updated, I decided to use the Career Services Center on campus to help with making some updates. Doing so taught me a wealth of new information about resumés. For example, I learned that my formatting was wrong, I didn’t need to include all the information that was in my header, and I got help creating resumé bullets that showcase what I did at my past jobs in a quantifiable way.
With the Head of the Lakes Job and Internship Fair being virtual this year, I knew I would also need some advice on how to do virtual interviews. Again, Career Services came in helpful here, as I learned to make sure the web camera is at a good angle, to look at the camera, to not fidget, and to make sure that the background is clean and professional. If you cannot present with a clean, professional background, be sure to use a virtual one. I used a stuffed animal in the background to make sure I would maintain eye contact.
I made sure I did my research on the companies I was meeting with, and I had questions ready. That way I could fill my time and I would avoid any “deer in the headlights” moments during the one-on-one meetings.
The day of the fair was a little nerve racking, as I had three one-on-one sessions set up. Of the three, I was only able to speak with two of them. The third company had canceled their slots, stating that they had chosen to limit one-on-one sessions for the day.
The video chat format was surprisingly easy. I set up my laptop according to the tips I got from Career Services. I had my research and my questions next to me, and I was ready to go for my one-on-one meetings.
After completing my sessions, I preferred the video chat format over an in-person meeting. I was able to spend a full 10 minutes asking questions and learning about the company with zero interruptions or distractions. The only downside to the format was that there was only 10 minutes, and I did have my time get cut short in one of the one-on-one sessions.
After attending the Head of the Lakes Job and Internship Fair, I applied to open positions with both of the companies I spoke to. Fingers crossed I get an interview.
For more information about opportunities provided by Career Services, you can email them at career@uwsuper.edu or visit their webpage.
