{"id":432378,"date":"2026-10-19T21:50:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T21:50:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/432378\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T21:50:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T21:50:11","slug":"are-career-fairs-beneficial-panthernow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/432378\/","title":{"rendered":"Are career fairs beneficial? – PantherNOW"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Karen Alava | Staff Writer<\/p>\n

Every time I hear about a career fair at FIU, I have the same thought\u2026Should I even bother going?<\/p>\n

I have gone to several career fairs during my time at FIU, usually with the same idea in mind. I put on something professional, bring my resume, prepare myself to talk to recruiters and walk around hoping to find something that actually relates to what I am studying. As a journalism major, however, I usually end up looking around and realizing there is not much there for me.<\/p>\n

Career fairs are supposed to help college students connect with employers and find opportunities. In theory, that sounds great. But in my experience, the fairs at FIU often feel heavily centered around STEM, research, business, finance and, sometimes, hospitality. Those fields are obviously important and deserve representation, but where does that leave students studying other fields that do not fit as neatly into the traditional corporate recruiting model?<\/p>\n

The frustrating part is that FIU does make it possible to see which employers will be attending before the career fair. But even when I check the list, I sometimes find myself thinking, \u201cWhat exactly am I supposed to apply for?\u201d I can walk into the fair with a stack of printed resumes, dressed formally and ready to introduce myself, but if there is no employer looking for someone with my skills, there is not much to do.<\/p>\n

And sometimes, when there is a company that seems like it could have something for me, the opportunity is not exactly what I am looking for. I remember seeing a financial news company at one career fair and thinking that, as a media company, there might be something related to journalism. When I spoke with the recruiter, though, the positions being promoted at the fair were mostly related to finance. The recruiter was kind enough to give me a link to a possible journalism position, but when I looked at it, it was for a much more senior journalist role with a strong finance focus. It was a good example of how a company can technically have journalism jobs without necessarily having opportunities that make sense for a college journalism student.<\/p>\n

There is also something strange about being told to bring a resume to a career fair when the company already has an online application available. Sometimes you talk to a recruiter, have a nice conversation and are ultimately told to apply through the company\u2019s website. At that point, I cannot help but wonder what the career fair actually accomplished. If the company already has hundreds of applicants and a formal application process, handing someone a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 for two minutes is not necessarily going to turn them into a strong candidate.<\/p>\n

That does not mean I think career fairs are completely useless. They can actually be helpful in ways that are harder to measure. You get to learn about companies you might not have heard of before, ask questions directly to someone who works there and practice introducing yourself professionally. You might even make a connection that becomes useful later.<\/p>\n

My experience at the career fair is actually proof of that. Even though the position I found was not right for me, the recruiter took the time to point me toward something else. That interaction reminded me that sometimes the value of a career fair is not necessarily walking in and leaving with a job. It can be about meeting people and learning about opportunities you would not have found on your own.<\/p>\n

But I also think students should not have to get lucky.<\/p>\n

If a university is holding a career fair for its students, there should be enough variety for students across different majors to find at least one or two employers relevant to their career goals. For journalism students, that could mean news organizations, magazines, publishing companies, communications departments, public relations firms, digital media companies, cultural institutions, entertainment organizations or employers looking for writers, editors, photographers and content creators.<\/p>\n

Journalism is also one of those fields where the traditional career fair formula does not always make sense. A journalism student can bring a r\u00e9sum\u00e9, but they also have clips, portfolios, photography, video, reporting experience and other work that can show an employer what they can actually do. A five-minute conversation with a recruiter is not always enough to communicate that.<\/p>\n

Maybe career fairs at FIU have changed. Maybe I have simply been attending the wrong ones. And maybe other students have had completely different experiences. But after going to several and repeatedly finding that none applied to me, I eventually stopped going.<\/p>\n

I still believe career fairs could be beneficial. I just wish they felt like they were actually built for all of us.<\/p>\n

DISCLAIMER:<\/p>\n

The opinions presented on this page do not represent the views of the PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect the perspectives of contributing writers and\/or university community members.<\/p>\n

About Post Author<\/p>\n

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