With Career Fair waiting around the corner, much of the student body is abuzz with researching companies and polishing their resumes. At surface level, Career Fair is an excellent way to get hired, but there tend to be extra hoops to jump through for those who are not traditional engineering majors. Success under those circumstances, in my experience, has stemmed from the ability to make a greater personal connection. Perhaps someone I know or an alum from my major is working for the company, or the recruiter has similar personal interests to me and that will provide an in. The goal is to resonate with someone. 

How do you make a genuine point of connection, then? There are a multitude of tactics that can be employed. A common point of disconnect is not having a strong personal brand and exuding it. This is to say, be more than your experience. Speak to what you gained or are looking to gain, and be sure to leave some space on your resume for personal interests. Practicing with friends or doing a mock interview are excellent ways to have personal answers ready to go for common questions. 

Attending mock interviews and resume workshops are also a way to utilize MTU’s resources if they have absolutely no companies for your major at Career Fair. These skills can be transferred to making a connection at a conference for your major. 

Finally, attend departmental career fairs when possible; this can be especially pivotal if bigger companies tend to not send recruiters with your degree. People at these events are going to be looking for you! Just remember when you go in to not put too much pressure on yourself, breathe, trust that you have prepared well, and you will be more than fine.

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