Back in Business: Everything You Need to Know About the 2019 Seminole Futures Career Fair

Fall semester has begun and classes are officially back in session! Freshmen are exploring their new campus, Sophomores and Juniors are creating new memories, and Seniors are preparing for life after graduation. Regardless of your status on campus, the Seminole Futures All Majors Career and Internship Fair can assist you! Open to the entire Tallahassee community, Florida State University’s largest Career Fair is back, and this year it’s bigger than ever. With over 150 employers from government, corporate and non-profit organizations, attendees will be able to showcase themselves, practice their networking skills, and possibly land a job or internship. 

The Seminole Futures Career and Internship Fair takes place each fall and spring semester, allowing current students to gain experience and plan for their future. This fall, the event will be taking place on Sep. 19 in the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center from 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm. Regardless of your classification, it is strongly recommended to attend the career fair! While most companies are looking to hire upperclassmen, Freshmen and Sophomores will have the opportunity to sharpen their interview and networking skills in preparation for the next Career Fair.

For those who are looking to secure a job or internship this semester, the FSU Career Center hosts a series of workshops leading up to the event to ensure students are properly prepared. From resume-building to mock interviews, there are plenty of resources for students to utilize; they can all be found here. 

A few key tips the Career Center has for this year’s Seminole Futures are to prepare your elevator speech (a 30-second spill on you and your career goals), research employers you are interested in and dress professionally. If you don’t own any professional clothing or are unsure what professional dress means, you can visit FSU’s Professional Clothing Closet at University Center A in room 4152. Students can take up to four clothing items or one suit per academic year and the closet accepts donations of clothing year-round. You can also view this guide to professional dress provided by the Career Center for more details on what to wear to Seminole Futures or any other professional event. 

After wow-ing your potential employers, you will want to stay in contact to secure your future job. This can be done through the professional social networking sites LinkedIn and Handshake, aka the Facebook’s of the business world. The Career Center suggests students update their LinkedIn and Handshake profiles before attending Seminole Futures in order to connect with companies on the spot and directly after the event! As a student at Florida State, you will already have a Handshake account that you can activate with your myFSU log-in credentials. You will also want to bring hard copies of your resume and business cards to leave with employers. A tangible item can help businesses remember you and set you apart from thousands of attendees.

With highly reputable companies like Amazon and Berkshire Hathaway scheduled to be at the fair, don’t forget it is natural to be nervous in your efforts to impress these employers despite the many steps you may take to prepare! Take advantage of all the resources available at the Career Center and refer to this Career Fair guide if you feel unsure at any time. Remember to remain confident and humble. Happy job hunting!

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