Taylor Southern is a junior at Wichita State studying Health Management with a concentration in Health Administration. She's also cracked the code on career fairs.

Southern attended the Shocker Career Accelerator's Health Professions Career Fair on March 23, 2022. However, it was her preparation that set her up for success. Before the fair, she attended the Shocker Career Accelerator's Career Fair Prep Workshop and Resume Clinic.

"I revamped my resume, researched each company's website, and made a list of all the companies I wanted to talk to," Southern says.

Southern encourages other students to attend the workshops because they helped her prepare and research. She said developing her elevator speech helped calm her nerves, tell employers her major and network at the career fair.

"I didn't think I would find a lot of positions available for my specific degree," Southern says. "Many did, but if they didn't, I was still able to work on my networking and communication skills."

Southern said her experience at the career fair made her feel better about what's to come after college. She said she made great networking connections and that a few employers eagerly asked for one of the resumes she had on hand.

"I didn't realize how impactful career fairs can be," Southern says. "Professors help you learn the knowledge to obtain your degree, but no one hands you a paper with a specific job description and application."

Networking is a vital skill, and career fairs are a great way to practice and make connections.

The Shocker Career Accelerator will host the Just-In-Time Career Fair 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. on April 13, held virtually over Handshake. If students wish to prepare for a career fair like Southern, they can check out the Shocker Career Accelerator's event list before the fair for various workshops they can attend.