Professional Transition

The transition from a student for eighteen or more years to a professional working individual is anything but simple based on my present experience. This transition has been a unique learning experience with mixed emotions and self-recognition. To help with my transition from a full-time student to a young professional I have participated in three distinct activities in particular. Over the last semester I have attended one career fair, researched about my field of interest, and joined a professional network. Attending the career fair sponsored by the University of Rochester was nerve racking to say the least. I have never been one to turn down an opportunity to speak in front of my peers or superiors, but this was a test to my vocal ability. I realized that this was a test of my professionalism before I

We spoke about the companies we had researched and wanted to speak to at the fair which was again very comforting for me. Arriving at the fair I knew that I needed to shed my security blanket and begin to pursue some of my companies of interest. The first recruiter I spoke to was very pleasant but informed me that there were only marketing internship positions available at the moment. I was caught off guard by the response and forgot to grab a business card, name, or number in case I wanted to follow up on the company for an open position at a later date. I instantly realized the mistake and told myself to correct it with the next person I spoke to. The fair was very busy and I spent much time waiting in line to speak to the few recruiters available. The next recruiter was from M&T and was also very pleasant to speak with. He told me that they were looking to fill position locally only. While this was not my ideal geographical location to start a career, I decided to stay interest and not close an opportunity. However, the man asked