Expo: FAQs

Wondering whether attending the Communications Networking Expo is worth your time? What the heck you’re supposed to do? Who’s coming to the Expo? What it will look like?

Hopefully my list of Possibly Asked Questions will help you out. Comment if you have unanswered questions.

Umm… when and where is it?

Why isn’t it just called a “career fair” instead of a “networking expo”?

No booths?! How do I know who is who?

How will it be set-up?

How should I dress? 

Should I bring my resume?

Do I have to stay the entire time?

What am I supposed to do?

Which organizations are coming?

Is it really worth my time?

Umm… when and where is it?

Tomorrow (Thursday, February 25) from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom on the second floor.

Why isn’t it just called a “career fair” instead of a “networking expo”?

Because it’s not a career fair. What?! The expo won’t have booths  for organizations and it’s not designed for direct “I want a job, you can give it to me” interactions. It is designed to help students and organization representatives to interact and begin developing relationships. Some, not all, organizations are looking for interns and employees. Organization descriptions and those interested in getting interns are listed here.

No booths?! How will I know who is who?

Every attending representative will have nametags that state their name and which company or organization they’re from. They’ll also have colored flags on their tags which indicate which majors they’re most interested in speaking with. Students’ nametags will also have flags that indicate what their major(s) are. The code will be posted on table tents and fliers.

Code:

Purple - Advertising, marketing, graphic design

Blue - Broadcast

Yellow - News-editorial, English

Pink - Public Relations

Green - Sports Media

How will it be set-up?

Bistro tables will be scattered throughout the room and will feature peppermints, pens and table tents with OSU and communication facts. The tables will serve as networking stations for organization representatives and students to chat around.

Three long tables in the middle of the room will host representatives’ promotional materials.

You can store your backpacks, purses, jackets, etc. on either one of the two long tables in the corners of the room.

How should I dress?

Since some representatives are looking for interns and employees, you should still dress professionally. Profesionals like to see students take the initiative and look nice.

Example: Wear a matching two-piece suit with closed-toe dress shoes, simple shirt and minimal jewelry. Still not sure about proper attire? Click on Dressing for the Interview here.

Should I bring my resume?

Yes – bring multiple copies of your resume. You never know who might want to get some take-home information about you! You can visit HireOSUGrads (3rd floor of the Student Union) for a stack of resume paper and thank you notes. They’re free!

Do I have to stay the entire time?

Nope. It’s come and go from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Take advantage of the time and get to know these representatives who came to see you.

What am I supposed to do?

Introduce yourself: “Hi, I’m Jim Bob and I’m studying basket-weaving.  It’s nice to meet you.”

Thank them for coming to the expo. People always like to be appreciated.

Start chatting – talk about the current state of the economy, job prospects, OSU, etc. Ask them about their job – what do they do, why do they like it, any advice for recent graduates, etc.

Remember to relax. Our visiting representatives are human, too. (Just don’t spill the beans about how much you hate searching for a job, etc. Be wise.)

Which organizations are coming?

Organizations from several fields – newspapers, magazines, broadcast stations, advertising and public relations firms, non-profits, radio stations and more. The complete list is here.

Is it really worth my time?

If you’d like to meet people who can help you get an internship or a job, you should come to the Communications Networking Expo. The expo is designed for communication majors like you – why not invest some time in getting to know professionals who sacrificed their time to meet you? The expo will give you connections and networking experience  – take advantage of the opportunity.

If you need further information about the expo, visit www.cowboynetworking.org or shoot me an e-mail at cortney.k.hicks@okstate.edu.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Expo: Possibly Asked Questions

Wondering whether attending the Communications Networking Expo is worth your time? What the heck you’re supposed to do? Who’s coming to the Expo? What it will look like?

Hopefully my list of Possibly Asked Questions will help you out. Comment or tweet me if you have unanswered questions.

Umm… when and where is it?

Why isn’t it just called a “career fair” instead of a “networking expo”?

No booths?! How do I know who is who?

How will it be set-up?

How should I dress? 

Should I bring my resume?

Do I have to stay the entire time?

What am I supposed to do?

Which employers are coming?

Is it really worth my time?

 

Umm… when and where is it?

Tomorrow (Thursday, February 26) from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom on the second floor.

Why isn’t it just called a “career fair” instead of a “networking expo”?

Because it’s not a career fair. What?! The expo won’t have booths  for employers and it’s not designed for direct “I want a job, you can give it to me” interactions. It is designed to help students and potential employers interact and begin developing relationships. Some, not all, employers are looking for interns and employees. These positions are listed here.

No booths?! How will I know who is who?

Every attending employer representative will have name badges that state their name and which company or organization they’re from. They’ll also have colored flags on their badges which indicate which majors they’re most interested in speaking with. Students will also wear nametags with flags that indicate what their major(s) are. The code will be posted on table tents and fliers.

Code:

Purple - Advertising, marketing, graphic design

Blue - Broadcast

Yellow - News-editorial

Pink - Public Relations

Green - Sports Media

How will it be set-up?

Twelve bistro tables will be scattered throughout the center of the room and will feature peppermints, pens and table tents with OSU and media facts. The tables will serve as networking stations for employers and students to chat around.

Three long tables in the middle of the room will host employers’ promotional materials.

You can store your backpacks, purses, jackets, etc. on either one of the two long tables in the corners of the room.

 

How should I dress?

Since some employers are looking for interns and employees, you should still dress professionally. Employers (and business contacts in general) like to see students take the initiative and look nice.

Example: matching two-piece suit with closed-toe dress shoes, simple shirt and minimal jewelry. Still not sure about proper attire? Click on Dressing for the Interview here.

Should I bring my resume?

Yes – bring multiple copies of your resume. You never know who might want to get some take-home information about you! You can visit HireOSUGrads for a stack of resume paper and thank you notes. Your fees pay for them!

Do I have to stay the entire time?

Nope. It’s come and go from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Take advantage of the time and get to know these employers who came to see you.

What am I supposed to do?

Introduce yourself: “Hi, I’m Jim Bob and I’m studying basket-weaving.  It’s nice to meet you.”

Thank them for coming to the expo. People always like to be appreciated.

Start chatting – talk about the current state of the economy, job prospects, OSU, etc. Ask them about their job – what do they do, why do they like it, any advice for recent graduates, etc.

Remember to relax. Our visiting representatives are human, too. (Just don’t spill the beans about how much you hate searching for a job, etc. Be wise.)

Which employers are coming?

Newspapers, broadcast stations, advertising and public relations firms, non-profits and radio stations. The complete list is here.

Is it really worth my time?

If you’d like to meet people who can help you get an internship or a job, you should come to the Communications Networking Expo. The expo is designed for journalism and communication majors like you – why not invest some time in getting to know the employers who sacrificed their time to meet you? The expo will give you connections and networking experience  – take advantage of the opportunity.

 

If you need further information about the expo, visit www.cowboynetworking.org or send us an e-mail at students@cowboynetworking.org.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Post Smart Online

As college students, when we post information online we often forget that everyone can see what we say, not just our friends or just those in our network. Easily forgotten audiences:

• Family members (Mom, Grandma, Uncle Bill… if they’ve figured out social media yet)
• Potential employers/supervisors, etc.
• Current employers/supervisors, etc.
• Business contacts
• Leaders in your industry
• Random people in Tahiti

While we’re happily telling our friends how wasted we were the night before, revealing tragic soul-searching thoughts and declaring any slams against others – everyone else in the list above (and then some) can see these thoughts.

Though we may not have reached the point of being popular via social media, others do know  (or can find out very quickly) what we’re doing or thinking if they do a little searching. A couple examples of unappealing posts (as on Twitter):

Jim Bob is feeling cruddy because his girlfriend just broke up with him and smashed his heart (and his world) to pieces.

Pistol Pete is proud of his cowboys for smashing those sorry, cowardly Sooners to pieces last night. Good riddance!

Barri Rafferty wrote a particularly interesting piece about this subject in his article, Engaging online knows no limits. In his article, he offers a few pointers for bloggers and social media-ites everywhere to remember. These include:

• The private is becoming public.
• Context still matters.
• Remember there are 360 degrees of communication.
• The stakes are higher than ever.
• We’re all accountable.

Check out his article for a more detailed and explanatory analysis of posting wisely. Before you visit the site, brainstorm a few not-so-professional posts and… don’t post them. Unless, you’d like to shake up your site’s hits, which after all, might serve your purpose more than being “appropriate.”

Career Fair vs. Networking Expo

Originally we’d planned to have a Communications Career Fair. As our planning progressed, we realized that an event specifically tailored to developing relationships would probably be more effective for both our employers and students.

We threw around a few names to call this new event, including JB Communications Networking Fair, Communications Almost-But-Not-Really-Career Fair-Thingamagig for Students-Who-Don’t-Want-to-Live-at-Home-Forever, Making Friends in the Industry, etc. We were getting desperate.

Finally someone suggested a JB Communications Networking Expo, which was relatively concise and summed up the goals of the event. Students needed opportunities to meet employers and vice versa. We’d finally have an environment to do it in!

Then we had to figure out what a “networking expo” was and how to tailor it to help our attending students and employers get the most of the experience.

Before we discuss what a networking expo is, what are your thoughts? What do you expect from a networking expo? How would suggest designing an expo? Sit-down, standing, mingling, etc.?

Communications Networking Expo Countdown

Oklahoma State University is hosting its first Communications Networking Expo in 21 days.

The Communications Networking Expo is on Thursday, February 26 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom.

The Expo is geared toward students in advertising, broadcasting, news-editorial, public relations, sports media, marketing, graphic design, ag communication… basically communication/media-oriented majors.

Why is OSU having a expo for communications students? What exactly will happen at the Expo? Why should you care? If you’re a communication major at OSU or a communication/media-related employer, keep reading.

Last fall, the Association for Women in Communications OSU chapter  (OSU-AWC) went to Kansas City for a media field trip. The group toured a couple media Epic Entertainment and KMBC-TV. While returning from the City, the girls talked about job-searching, career fairs and interviews. Each of them were frustrated that when they went to career fairs, few employers seemed to want to talk to advertising, news-editorial or other majors for jobs.

OSU journalism students were qualified for many internships and jobs, but finding them was incredibly difficult. The group soon realized that they needed their own communications career fair. Otherwise, how were they going to connect with employers and get jobs and internships?

By the time they returned to Stillwater, the girls had decided that they should create their own career event for journalism majors. AWC was going to sponsor and coordinate OSU’s first communications-specific career event.

As we get closer to the Big Day, I’ll post more information about upcoming related events and any other pertinent information.

I encourage students and employers to visit http://www.cowboynetworking.org for more information about the Expo, related events and contact information. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!