Exactly one year ago, I was a senior at Temple University trying to wrap my mind around approaching my graduation date – and the even more daunting reality that I was still on the hunt for my “perfect” PR job. As I prepared for the Klein College Internship & Career Fair, I was looking to anyone who had done this before for advice. If you’re in the same position as I was, it can be difficult to ground yourself in the basics as you’re in the midst of it. 

So, how do you show up smart to your next career fair or networking event as a young professional? Check out these tips below. 

Focus on the human connection first.

In our line of work, connections aren’t just what gets you in the door – it’s what you do every day after that. We are continuously building relationships for our clients and ourselves, but that starts far before your first day on the job. Put aside the resume bullets and your LinkedIn profile for the first moments of the conversation. While these are important and have their place in the introduction, they aren’t going to make a lasting first impression on their own. It’s your personality or your initial passion for an industry that can sometimes make someone want to give your resume a second glance. 

Find something in common with the person you’re talking to! Maybe you both took the same college class or are both excited about a trend in the industry. While it’s important to keep conversations on-topic and professional, it’s those initial relationship building blocks that allow you to continue building that connection as you move through the hiring process. 

Now that your foot’s in the door, make sure you stay. 

You’ve started building that initial connection – now what? Here’s where you pull your strengths out of your back pocket. Always have a few key skills, experiences or roles that set you apart from the pack and prove your value. 

Did you have an internship that gave you interesting experience? What about a technical skill you learned in an elective class? If the opportunity arises, make sure you talk about what unique capabilities you can bring to the team. From each person’s strongest skillset to their little quirks, companies hire you because they want you, not because they want a clone of what you think is the “ideal candidate.”

Continuously foster relationships. You never know where they may bring you. 

In the fall of 2022, I officially changed my major to public relations and joined Temple’s student-run PR firm, PRowl, where I met Isabel Chowdhury, who graduated a year before me with a job as an Account Coordinator at H+C. That same fall, I heard Krysta Pellegrino, previous H+C Chief Client Officer and now Chief Growth Officer at Supreme Group, speak at my first Temple PRSSA meeting. When I arrived at the career fair a year and a half later, it was Isabel and Krysta running the H+C table! 

What was meant to be a nice hello ended with me sharing my resume and eventually scheduling an introductory call with Isabel. She gave me the space to ask her questions and shared tips on the post-grad job hunt. As you’re moving through your education and first jobs, continue to foster relationships and remember names. Before heading into the career fair, check out who is attending through the event site or your university’s career center to pinpoint if you may have a connection that can help propel you forward or just be a great sounding board for your questions. 

Last, but definitely not least, don’t sell yourself short. 

For years, I told myself that I didn’t belong anywhere close to the healthcare industry because I didn’t have the “typical” skillsets in math and science. While it’s true that I found my place in the communications world, I almost counted out H+C because I didn’t think I “fit the bill.” 

Luckily, I was so intrigued by H+C’s culture and clients that I took a chance and dove in head first. Now, I get to wake up every day and work with some of the most talented, encouraging and intelligent people in the industry. I’m learning from incredibly creative people, and we’re lucky enough to tell the stories of our clients who are truly making a difference. 

If your gut is telling you to take a new path where you’re able to learn and grow, lean into it. Despite coming into the career fair a little unsure, I left with a good feeling that I made a connection that would lead me to my future job – even if it wasn’t the one I thought I’d have.