Joie Whitmon - Attending Professional Networking Events - Career Fair (3 pts) – Class of 2027

Going to the career fair this semester as a senior felt very different from my first one. At my first career fair, I was nervous and spent most of my energy just trying to get through each conversation. This time, I knew what I wanted to ask, I could talk about my internships at Meta and McKinsey without overthinking it, and I spent a lot less time wondering whether I belonged there.

What I noticed more this time was how much I was thinking about authenticity. Career fairs reward a certain kind of polish: the elevator pitch, the handshake, the corporate tone. I’ve gotten good at that, but I caught myself wondering how much of me was actually in those conversations. It reminded me of the Beyond the Marigolds discussion this fall, where I realized I’d been treating one specific polished look as something I owed people. Career fairs can work the same way. The best conversations I had were the ones where I talked like myself and asked questions I cared about, not the ones where I sounded the most rehearsed.

If I could change one thing about career fairs, it would be how rushed they are. Long lines and a few minutes per recruiter make it hard to have a real conversation, and they push everyone toward the same scripted pitch.

As I get ready to start working full time, I want to keep that balance. I can be professional without editing myself out of the room. I also want to share what I’ve learned with underclassmen, because my confidence came from practice, and hearing that as a freshman would have helped me.

By Joie Whitmon