The networking event I attended was the Buffalo Broadcasters Association Student Job Fair. The event was held downtown at the WNED-TV Studios and had employers in attendance including Townsquare Media, Media One Buffalo, and Crawford Media Group just to name a few.
The event started with a round table discussion which lasted around forty-five minutes where the moderator, Noah Maciejewski, asked four speakers questions about their tips on what makes a resume distinctive from another resume and some tips they had to be successful in an interview and in the industry. The speakers talked about the journalism and broadcasting industry, touching on three tips which stood out to me: passion, knowledge, culture, awareness, and hobbies. They touched on the importance of showing your passion for the field in a job or internship interview and highlighted why it is crucial to be knowledgeable and aware of current events such as the ship sinking in the harbor or the current governor of New York. A tip I found most interesting was to include hobbies as talking points in an interview to show your personal passions as that is what will make you stand apart from other candidates. One speaker even spoke about their hobby of bee-keeping. The discussion ended with a Q & A for students to ask the speakers questions about the topics discussed. From there, it transitioned into students having the opportunity to converse with vendors about potential job openings and internships at their companies. There were various employers set up at tables where they had everything from business cards to t-shirts displayed.
I found the event to be beneficial as I had never attended a job fair with so many employers and industry professionals before. Prior to the event, I was a bit nervous as I did not know what to expect. One thing I wish I did not forget was to take notes! I was so focused on the discussion, that note-taking completely slipped my mind. All-in-all, I felt that the round-table discussion was the most beneficial aspect as it provided great insight into what professionals look for in a candidate and what makes a potential employee stand apart from others. It was interesting to hear about everyone’s personal perspectives on the industry and how they got their start compared to where they are now in the industry. From this experience, I gained insight into what to expect at a job fair and gained experience from my participation in a networking environment.
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