So, I hope all of you have spent the last week assessing your personal interests and values and are on your way to establishing and maintaining your personal brand. As I mentioned in last week’s post, I decided that, this week, I want to focus on the ways that you can take advantage of Career Services events and resources. Contrary to what many people believe, Career Services is not just for upperclassmen. Yes, juniors and seniors are not the only center of attention around here. Career Services also cares about freshman and sophomore.

One of the first things I remember doing as a freshman was signing up for TigerTracks. I didn’t really even know what it was at the time. After reading about it, I created a profile that was catered to my academic and career interests and searched for possible summer jobs and internships. It was really cool to get emails from Career Services about opportunities and events that might be of interest to me. For example, I remember getting an email blast about an event where an representative from Paradigm (an entertainment agency) would be talking to students. I was thrilled because, at that time, I was really interested in the entertainment sector and wanted to know more about the industry. At the event juniors and seniors really dominated the questions, but I was able to learn a lot from what I heard. Although I wasn’t trying to place a resume with the representative, I got the experience of hearing her talk about what it would take to be a qualified applicant, and how to best present myself within that industry. Those two lessons were definitely worth the time being there! Therefore signing up with TigerTracks should on your URGENT TO-DO list.

Another thing I urge you to do is to check out the 2010 fall events list by clicking here! Browse through the events, read about the types of opportunities available on campus this fall! Don’t scroll past the date “October 1, 2010” because this is the date of the annual General Interest Career Fair, which will be held in Dillon Gymnasium from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm THIS FRIDAY! But wait, you’re an underclassman…. you aren’t interested in finding or securing a post-grad position yet! Right? Well, while this may be true, this does not mean that you shouldn’t attend a career fair. Career Fairs are a great place to learn more about certain industries, network with professionals within these organizations, and get a feel for what you can look forward to when you actually are a junior or senior. Representatives from over 90 companies will be there to speak with you about potential full time and internship opportunities. This will be a great place to practice marketing your brand and making lasting impressions

How, then, do you prepare for a career fair? Well, it all depends on your goals. Here are a few basic tips and reminders for freshman and sophomores that will make the anticipation of October 1^st stress-free and interesting!

If you are a freshman or sophomore, you might be interested in browsing different tables to get information about companies that come to Princeton (maybe specific ones you might be interested in based on their industry or popularity). Or maybe, you might just want to take-in the experience of a career fair and see what happens.

If you are looking for a summer internship, your priorities will be different. It might be useful to review the list of participating companies on TigerTracks and see which ones are looking for interns. Then follow the tips below before Friday:

If you want more extensive advice, check out pages 33 and 34 of Career Services’ Career Planning Guide! Remember, this is all a process. Try not to be intimidated by the idea of attending a Career Fair. Think of it as a learning experience that will help you in your future years at Princeton. With that being said, I hope to see you all on October 1^st!