Broaden Career Fair Opportunities

 Last week, the career fair caused a strange uptick in suits on campus, and that was pretty much the only thing that happened. Opportunities for many non-STEM majors at the career fair are limited at best, and many students avoid the fair altogether. The students looking for a morning coffee or a quiet corner may have had their day ruined by this display of networking. Seeing the coat check rack and name tag table surely is enough of a reason to avoid campus entirely. 

The event caters to such a small demographic of people, specifically engineering students, and restricts entry to basic employment opportunities. There is a certain culture present that, besides being overwhelming to see, manages to turn away a more casual audience. Casual, in this case, would describe someone with a limited time for involvement and less availability toward “formal” clothing. Some people just do not own suits. 

Employers should want to see the genuine qualities of a person and the culture of the annual event does not allow for that. Enforcing a dress code and creating redundant steps for entry limits the accessibility of the event. There is a signup table and a name-tag station, which are both completely unnecessary and sort of childish. All this is happening just outside the doors but on the inside, there are supposedly hundreds of opportunities for each and every type of student…right? Well, if you are an engineer, then probably. Of course there are opportunities if you are into ranch land maintenance, but not if you are studying horticulture. The career opportunities present are specific to a few areas encompassing a small fraction of the student body. 

It also seems that the fair is attempting to mimic a real professional interview and hiring process, but if that were the case, then a bit more preparation would be helpful. Maybe knowing exactly what an I-9 or W-4 form is before they are shoved in front of your face would be nice. Why not start thinking about the fact that an interview begins the moment a potential employer notices you? Is it a common tradition for employers to wait until interview day to begin judging your character? A list of simple questions being met by equally simple answers will not entirely sway the opinion of anyone, so it would benefit students if they were better prepared for the fair. This would include having a more relaxed, but still professional, dress code, as well as a list of questions to prepare for an interview. The career fair also creates a culture of homogenous similarity, and standing out can be difficult. No one wants an employee who cannot think for themselves, but from the outside, it looks like the career fair is full of them.

 The fair should be a great way to network but as it’s grown, the schedule has become convoluted and it is not an environment that highlights the students. Honestly, if the career fair was just moved outdoors, it would solve a few issues. Availability would widen and they can hold all the non-generalized specific lectures in the SUB. Adding in more opportunities for non-stem majors would help as well. Diversifying the career fair would move mountains for all MSU students.