Observational Field Notes
I attended the first ever Reverse Career Fair on 2/7/12 from 5:00 pm to 6:45 pm at the AMU (Alumni Memorial Union) Ballrooms on the third floor. I was invited to the event by my sorority, Pi Beta Phi. Taylor Trovillion, senior transition officer in Pi Phi, worked with Kristin Adler, who works in career services and is on Pi Phi’s Alumni Advisory Council (AAC), to write a grant in order to have the fair.
While at the fair, I stood with my sorority and met employers. We handed out our resumes and fact sheets about Pi Phi. Taylor is planning on running a career panel for Pi Phi where employers would come speak about what they look for in hiring, so we collected about 30 total business cards and put them in a small bowl.
The amount of people at the fair remained at a consistent number. I estimated 150 students were in attendance with about 40 organizations. The number of employers total is hard to estimate because they were constantly moving, but about 25 to 30 stopped to talk to someone in Pi Phi.
Demographic Information
7 members of our organization attended the fair out of about 90 total members.
We are an all female organization, so we were all female.
While not all members of Pi Phi are white, the 7 in attendance were.
1 member wore a dress with tights. 5 wore skirts, tights and blouses. I wore dress pants and a blouse. All members wore their Pi Phi pin.
3 members wore heels. 4 wore flats.
I talked to about 10 employers. 7 were female, 3 were male.
4 employers came in pairs.
2 women who stopped to talk to us were former Pi Phis.
All employers who stopped to talk to us were white.
Of the employers I talked to, two had opportunities in the educational field. Almost every other employee was somehow in the business field. Of the Pi Phis in attendance, 4 were in the College of Communication, 2 in Business, and 1 in Education.
Each Pi Phi brought 30 copies of her resume. I passed out 5.
The ballroom was set up with student organization tables around the edge and two circles in the middle. Pi Phi took up 3 tables: 1 was dedicated to Philanthropy, 1 general table and 1 to sisterhood.
Every employer I talked to was attracted to the philanthropy table because it promoted literacy. As VP Philanthropy, I explained our cause and programs. The sign attracted 2 employers in the educational field that I am looking to go into.
Book Plates
We brought 50 bookplates for employers to decorate as part of our philanthropy.
11 were decorated by the end of the night.
For each bookplate we decorate, First Book donates one book to a child in need.
4 bookplates had some sort of drawing.
7 had just a quote or writing.
While at the fair, I stood with my sorority and met employers. We handed out our resumes and fact sheets about Pi Phi. Taylor is planning on running a career panel for Pi Phi where employers would come speak about what they look for in hiring, so we collected about 30 total business cards and put them in a small bowl.
The amount of people at the fair remained at a consistent number. I estimated 150 students were in attendance with about 40 organizations. The number of employers total is hard to estimate because they were constantly moving, but about 25 to 30 stopped to talk to someone in Pi Phi.
Demographic Information
7 members of our organization attended the fair out of about 90 total members.
We are an all female organization, so we were all female.
While not all members of Pi Phi are white, the 7 in attendance were.
1 member wore a dress with tights. 5 wore skirts, tights and blouses. I wore dress pants and a blouse. All members wore their Pi Phi pin.
3 members wore heels. 4 wore flats.
I talked to about 10 employers. 7 were female, 3 were male.
4 employers came in pairs.
2 women who stopped to talk to us were former Pi Phis.
All employers who stopped to talk to us were white.
Of the employers I talked to, two had opportunities in the educational field. Almost every other employee was somehow in the business field. Of the Pi Phis in attendance, 4 were in the College of Communication, 2 in Business, and 1 in Education.
Each Pi Phi brought 30 copies of her resume. I passed out 5.
The ballroom was set up with student organization tables around the edge and two circles in the middle. Pi Phi took up 3 tables: 1 was dedicated to Philanthropy, 1 general table and 1 to sisterhood.
Every employer I talked to was attracted to the philanthropy table because it promoted literacy. As VP Philanthropy, I explained our cause and programs. The sign attracted 2 employers in the educational field that I am looking to go into.
Book Plates
We brought 50 bookplates for employers to decorate as part of our philanthropy.
11 were decorated by the end of the night.
For each bookplate we decorate, First Book donates one book to a child in need.
4 bookplates had some sort of drawing.
7 had just a quote or writing.