MUCH ADO ABOUT CAREER FAIRS For Humanities Majors
MUCH ADO ABOUT CAREER FAIRS For Humanities Majors
Allison Tolman Brimhall ■ Spanish Translation BA (graduated August 2017) ■ Volunteer Care Clinic (a free clinic for uninsured Utah valley residents) was my sponsoring agency for two different professional interpreter trainings ■ Other formative experiences: Study abroad, working for the Department of Spanish & Portuguese, ELC Study Buddy program, ATA conference in Fall 2016 ■ Favorite advice: Find role models
Joshua Brimhall ■ Philosophy BA (graduated August 2016) – Minors in Business Management and Non-Profit Management ■ Jan 2012 - Began Studying Philosophy at BYU ■ Aug 2014 - Began my first On-Campus Internship ■ Jan 2015 - Co-founded Humanities to Business club ■ Summer 2015 - Interned for Orchard Software and University of Mississippi Hospital ■ Aug 2015 through April 2016 - Interned for BYU Hockey doing data collection and analysis ■ June 2016 - Began working for Blender. Bottle as an EDI coordinator ■ Dec 2017 - Took my first LSAT in preparation for pursuing a JDMBA
Why Go to Career Fairs ■ To Land an Internship or Job – This is a good time to learn about the full-time job and internship opportunities available to you as a humanities graduate ■ To Network – Your network is your net worth. You will have the opportunity to meet people who work in industries and fields that interest you and learn what they are looking for in candidates. ■ To practice selling your resume and accomplishments to potential employers – Like anything, practice makes perfect. Career fairs are a good opportunity to be introduced to a professional environment and learn how to present yourself in a convincing and concise way to impress employers
What To Do Before a Career Fair? Research, Research ■ “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win” - Sun Tzu, The Art of War ■ Develop a Fair Strategy ■ Research the companies at the upcoming career fair and sign up – This will help you know who will be there and what to focus your time and attention on – Representatives are impressed when you show you have background knowledge regarding their company – Representatives want to hear how your skills can help them build their company and succeed, rather than being asked if they have a position that fits your needs – This is especially important for humanities majors as it is not always obvious how the skills acquired in their major will help a company succeed – With the internet, it is easy to become acquainted with a company before meeting their representatives
Skills Humanities Majors Can Sell ■ You have writing and communication skills – In conjunction with good people skills, having the ability coherently state ideas in an easily digestible form is an invaluable asset for companies ■ You have experience using critical thinking skills to look for the flaws in arguments and solve problems – Harvard Business School’s director of admissions told Quartz in 2016 “Scholars of the humanities are comfortable with problems that don’t have just one correct answer. They’re used to managing ambiguity. They have an ability to think broadly, an ability to take a stand, and yet know there are other approaches. ”
How to Market Your Humanities Major ■ Emphasize the analytical (read: problem solving) and writing skills of your major ■ In conjunction with this, even out your experience by pointing to any practical experience with business you have – This can help show potential employers that you can do practical day to day business work in conjunction with aiding them in large, complex decisions ■ If you have leadership experience in BYU clubs or other organizations, include that in your pitch – Representatives often give special attention to candidates who show that they can lead groups of people in accomplishing a task ■ Remember: Your major is an asset. It can make you stand out in a crowd of similar sounding majors. Don’t look at it as a hindrance or burden. – Much of interviewing and networking is about being memorable and standing out
What To Do Before a Career Fair? Prepare Your Personal Presentations ■ Finalize your resume – Work with the BYU Humanities Advisement Center to iron out your resume – Be sure it is a single page – Be prepared to give further details regarding your accomplishments – Bring multiple copies ■ Prepare your “Elevator Pitch” – State your name/major and minors (if applicable) – Give a quick selling point (People are always tuned in to WIFM (what's in it for me)) – Show you have done your research (quickly state something you found personally interesting about the company) – End with a question about the company (tailor the pitch to them, not to you) – Practice, practice ■ "Their drills are bloodless battles, and their battles bloody drills. " --Flavius Josephus, on the Roman military
■ What To Do the Day of the Career Fair Dress in Business Casual Attire – First impressions are important. So dress as if you were going to a job interview. ■ Determine where you want to go and when – Have 3 -5 companies you have singled out and be prepared to introduce yourself to them – Ask representatives for their cards – Take notes – Send thank you emails after the fair ■ Be Confident of yourself and major – Make eye contact, have a firm handshake, and show enthusiasm – Be prepared to answer any questions the representative may have regarding your major.
Professional Development: Round Out Your Resume ■ Do an Internship – On Campus Internships – Off Campus Internships ■ Can receive funding if its non-payed. ■ Consider it part of your educational expenses ■ Get a business minor – This can help you gain practical business knowledge – Several minors to choose from ■ Join and participate in a business club – Most are open to any major – Excellent way to network ■ If you are considering it as a career option, do everything you can to investigate it – Don’t just keep parroting the same thing to people when your asked “what do you want to do with your major? ” Do everything you can to experience it and actually decide its what you want to do
Professional Development: Volunteer Work ■ If it’s for your resume, don’t waste your time with short-term volunteering commitments ■ Volunteer regularly for the same organization until they can vouch for your work if contacted by a potential employer ■ Ask around until you find an organization where you can be directly involved in the kind of work you hope to do in your career ■ If you make volunteering a time for observing experienced people in your future field and trying out different roles for yourself, it won’t feel like a total drag. ■ If you do the minimum required of you (for the understandable reason that you’re not paid) it will feel like a total drag
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