Gear up for October career fairs--Follow lessons from an old Hokie

You may have thought you were done with career fairs now that September is over, but there are several VT-affiliated fairs in October as well. This Friday, Richmond Hokies are holding a Career Expo with 80 employers in attendance. And, on October 14, your very own VT Career Services is hosting the Fall Connection job fair for all majors, with over 100 employers registered.

Clarence Hardy Long VPI 1939
Senior Class Photo from VT Bugle

To help you get ready for the next round of career fairs, I am sharing lessons from on old VT Professor: my Dad. Yesterday, October 6, would have been my Dad's 96th birthday. A mechanical engineering professor at Virginia Tech for over 40 years, Clarence Hardy "Huey" Long loved teaching students and sharing his knowledge as well consulting in private industry. Not only a professor, he was also an alum - he just came to Blacksburg and basically never left. Although he's been gone for 15 years, many of the lessons he taught me live on. I've tied some of his life lessons to your career fair preparation.

Try something new. When my Dad was a ME undergrad, the department head encouraged my Dad to participate in a Cake Race. With an insatiable "sweet tooth," my Dad jumped at the chance to win the race and take home a cake. Win the cake he did, as well as a spot on the Virginia Tech Track Team! Wonder how many Division 1 track teams would grow their teams in this manner today?

Never been to a career fair? Get out of your comfort zone and try attending the Richmond or Connection fairs this month. Although you might not leave with a cake or a spot on a sports team, you could leave with a spot on an employer's team.

VT 1939 Track Team, photo from VT Bugle
C.H. Long circled in red

Finish the race. One of my Dad's favorite VT track stories was about a track meet at Virginia Military Institute. During a race, my Dad lost his shoe while he was running, but he didn't let that stop him, He won the race, even though he needed assistance to pick the cinders out of his foot following the race. After that win, he earned the nickname "Iron Man Long."

What are you going to do to finish your race to find a position? After the career fair, don't just sit there. Apply online, follow up with the employers you meet (get their business cards at the career fair), and seek opportunities in other ways. Take action and keep plugging along like Iron Man Long did.

If anyone else can do it, you can do it. This saying constantly runs through my head, because I heard it so much from my Dad when I was growing up and after I became an adult. What's holding you back from reaching your goal to find an internship, co-op position or full-time job? If you've never been to a career fair, practice your introduction, research employers who are attending, develop a plan for your visit to a fair and do some observing before you talk to an employer at the fair. Over 20% of Hokies find their first full-time jobs at career fairs; for some majors this percentage reaches almost double that . You can do it too, if you try.

I'll close with a saying my Dad often said later in his life as we were leaving him:

"Have a goodie." A goodie what? Good time, good day, good meal, good whatever. So, you be sure and "Have a goodie" at a career fair this month.

What questions do you have about career fairs? Come see us in Career Services.