It was my first time at the career fair, and the only thing I was told was to “get there early!” So, naturally, I listened. I, however, was not the only one to receive this memo, as a hundred or so other students waited to get in to have awkward encounters with their potential employers.

When the doors opened, the herd moved in towards the check-in desk, where they told me I was still registered as Business Administration (I need to get that fixed). They corrected my major, however, and off I went. I was on a mission: To find a booth of my liking. I did just that, as I traveled first around the concourse level to find UPMC – a lovely little set-up. They had yo-yos as give-aways, though I felt awkward and refused to take any give-away from a recruiter unless they offered it to me. I was immediately recognized by one of the recruiters, which made the rest of the talking go rather smoothly. I got my information and scooted to bathroom to give myself a nice pep talk. Note: I was not the only one doing so.

I finally made it to the arena level and talked to several other companies, throwing my resumés at them in hope that they would like me. I can’t help but to be lax at these things, because a lot of the recruiters are seniors here who snagged a job from their internship. They were all very nice; my favorites being a recruiter from Altria, Gavin (he enjoyed the fact that I write for Onward State. SCORE), and a recruiter from Dicks, Matt (I think. Don’t actually count on that). I don’t believe I was qualified for either of those positions (oh, hey, I’m still a sophomore), but they were awesome to interact with.

The other encounters were just a blur until I found the Giant Eagle booth, where not one but two of the recruiters recognized me. It’s funny, because I didn’t know a single recruiter at the fair, but they all know my sister. Thank you, Kim. I appreciate you at the best of times. Even though I refuse to say we look alike, the facts state otherwise. Whew! After bumping into several students, I got out alive (good thing, because it was getting HOT in there).

Naturally, after I finished marketing myself, I brought out the camera to document a. How many people were there and b. The cool trinkets some of the companies brought along.

Check it out: