Coming back after atleast my sixth campus career event, a strong sence of deja vu creeps by me as I sit down preparing myself to go through all of the business cards and pamphlets I had collected over the course of three hours. I am a junior undergrad seeking an internship this summer and so far I have not had any success through these career fairs. Take into account that I’m just a B- student but I have many extra circulars to make up for this including college affiliated organizations, clubs and activily working as a research assistant at a prestegous laboratory. To be honest, I am tired of talking to people about thier professional experiences and life stories. Don’t get me wrong, I love meeting new people but just not under these surcomstancs. These are highly crowded rooms filled with ambitious and money hungy students ready to say anything that will sound good during thier most important sales pitch of their lifes. I cant help to think that their are many other was to efficiently recruit people.
Resumes are an outdated failed system that can be easily replaced through other meaningful formats. We live in an era where technical skills are most valued. Leadership and soft skills can always be developed over time but most of the high paying jobs require some knowledge of technologies. A better way to present what a person is capable of accomplishing is be showcasing projects that have been completed in school or in their own time. Not only will this give employes an idea of what level of expertise that that person holds regarding that particular skill, but it will also give potential employees a chance to show off some of their creativity in an automations/technological era where that too is also most valued. But before we get to this step I believe people should do something before meeting campus recruiters in person.
