What I learned from planning, then attending a Career Fair

As my graduate school assistantship, I worked with a phenomenal team at Mizzou to plan and execute a department-wide Career Fair with 42 companies present.

Our PR team that planned the event on Feb. 14, 2013- me, Marissa, Barbara, Susan and Sam

It was incredibly fulfilling for a multitude of reasons, learning that:

• Our team gained a lot of industry knowledge by planning the event, knowing a variety of advertising agencies, their size and each company's knowledge and specialties 
• Email etiquette is a life skill - craft these messages carefully!
• Learning the role of HR and how a company recruits new employees is incredibly important, so you know the best way "in" when you are interested
• It's important to build a relationship with every person you meet, because you'll cross paths again
• Lastly, event planning isn't as glorious as you think - and logistics are not a skill everyone has. 

As part of my company's campus recruiting team for Mizzou, I then had the opportunity to attend the Career Fair I once planned.

Taylor and I representing Starcom at the Strategic Communication Career Fair this past February 2014

Me with this year's PRAEs that we interviewed and hired to run the event and serve on Mojo Ad

Being on the other side of things, I learned a whole different set of lessons job-seekers should consider:

• Do something to stand out from the crowd
• Research companies, open positions and industry press around them before you speak to any recruiters
• Juniors in college are not always confident in what they want to do after graduation 
• Don't put something on your resume if you weren't there for very long and can't confidently speak to how you and your work enhanced their organization 
• Recruiters enjoy talking to students, so make it enjoyable for them! 

With campus recruiting season kicking off again this year, all these lessons came top-of-mind and I realized how lucky I was to have both of these opportunities. I'm looking forward to more successful recruiting efforts this year and helping prospective employees find a company they like! 

The cost of your friends getting married

It's been a privilege and a pleasure to observe many friends and family friends get married over the past two years. Attending nine weddings from mid-2013 to the end of 2014, I'm starting to understand the drill. The biggest lesson I've learned so far is to budget accordingly, because weddings come with expenses.

You start with a gift and outfit for an engagement party (if someone hosts one). Then the bridal shower comes, where you buy your first gift off the registry and sometimes travel to attend that.

Next is the bachelorette party, what most 20-something women look forward to and plan for months on hand. These appear to be getting more and more extravagant, but at the bare minimum, you're paying to host the party (i.e. split a hotel), eat dinner and drinks for a weekend, and buying another "mini-shower" gift.

Then, wedding weekend arrives. You'll need a cute outfit for the rehearsal dinner. To look ready yourself, a manicure & pedicure are necessary, and makeup and hair the day of the wedding. By wedding day, you've paid for your bridesmaid's dress or other outfit for the night, a hotel for the evening (and possibly a flight or gas if you travel), a card and another gift off the registry.

Make sure you're aware of all this and budget beforehand, or else it's easy to go overboard when you're celebrating your friends in love!

Word of the day

Nomophobia: Fear of being out of mobile phone contact

Think: NO-MO-bile phobia.

Read more in Business Insider here.

Priorities vs. options

What makes something a priority or an option?

This question is relevant in all facets of life - whether it's in organizations, friendships, relationships, the workplace or religion.

Decisions in the business world are not taken seriously without a rationale, which forces you to make a smart decision. But the further we progress in the real world, the more normal it is for people to answer "it just felt right" rather than explaining or even feeling confident in their reasoning on certain decisions.  With access to constant knowledge of what very one else is doing through social media, I think it's important to understand what makes certain plans important. Whether it's going to church, managing a relationship or making plans with someone - what makes it integral vs. optional?

Is it...

• The amount of attention you'll receive?
• The perceived amount of fun you'll have?
• Dedication to the people you are with? 
• Sharability & sociability? 
• The allure of new opportunities? 

What do you think? 

Fragendas

I recently started a note on my phone called "fragendas" - an abbreviation I made up for "friend agendas."

The idea stemmed from all the times throughout the day I have a story to tell a friend or family member, or giggle to myself about it, and want to remember to tell them about it. I'm sure it partially came from status meetings at work and the notion that your co-workers and manager always have a 'status' of what's on your agenda, but your friends and family don't - especially if they don't live close or communicate often.

A few weeks in, the brief review is that it's been a great reminder of who I've caught up with, items to touch base on and the little things, like paying someone back for tickets and more. Try it out :)

Owen & Engine

After eating at Au Cheval in the West Loop, one of my coworkers recommended another restaurant for a great burger - Owen and Engine. It's a little off the beaten path near Diversey & Western Avenue, between west Lakeview & Logan Square. Hannah, Harriet and I trekked out on a Tuesday night for the evening special - a burger, beer & bourbon for only $15!

The entire menu immediately looked phenomenal and the restaurant exceeded my expectations. With a dark, living room vibe like Barrelhouse Flat, the ambiance was fun and perfect for a nice dinner without getting too fancy. The burger was the best I've had in Chicago and I look forward to going back. Highly recommended, check it out!

Farm beer burger on a potato bun with caramelized onions

For dessert, we had lavender ice cream sandwiched between two brownies, with a chocolate cookie + peanut butter ball on the side. YUM.

Importance of catching up

I saw this picture hanging up at a co-worker's desk last week. Magazine ads are always powerful, but this one was particularly notable and ahead of its time.

Turning the print advertisement around, it's an ad for Visit North Carolina in 2009, but carries on a different meaning now than it probably would have then.

Wisdom is realizing that catching up is more important than keeping up.

In a world of constant updates & social media, it was a great reminder that you don't have to keep up with everyone's online statuses, photos, etc. But when you see them in person, talk on the phone or talk in detail, you can hear those things then.