Do you like free food? Did you miss the Fall Career and Internship Fair? Are you worried about finding an internship? Do you want experience networking with employers? If your answers to any of these questions were “yes,” then consider registering for UMBC’s Diversity Recruitment Event! The event, co-hosted by UMBC’s Career Center and the National Society of Black Engineers, is on Wednesday, October 19, 2016, from 5 to 8 PM in the UC Ballroom.

Pre-registration is required, and today (October 12), is the last day to do so. You can click here to register for the event.

The Diversity Recruitment Event is like the Fall Career and Internship Fair, but it is smaller, with 32 employers registered to attend. This is great news for students! There are more opportunities for you to network with representatives and make a memorable impression.

Not only that, but you have a chance to get career advice from someone who knows what you are going through. That’s something that I lose sight of a lot; these professionals have valuable experiences that they got only after they were once just like me; a college student living off of Salsaritas and gummy worms. They know our struggle and can give us advice on how to get where we want to go.

There’s a false misconception that the Diversity Recruitment Event only invites employers looking to hire STEM majors. There are plenty of companies coming that want to recruit students from allmajors. Plus, you never know where exploring your options can take you. You might find out you’re interested in a subject you never even considered because you learned of different career paths or opportunities you can take when you study that subject.

You can find a list of employers coming to recruit you here. Take the time to do your research if you choose to attend the event! The best way to tailor your experiences to what an employer is looking for is by researching what they want in a candidate. You can do this by looking at their job descriptions and announcements.

Make sure to dress professionally (here are some tips to help you with that) and bring plenty of resumes to distribute to the employers! The other day I went to an information session, and the representative told us all that she would email us directly, even before submitting an application, simply because we gave her a copy of our resumes at the networking event. If you want your resume looked at beforehand, drop in hours are 2-4 PM at the Career Center (2nd floor of Math & Psych), and 6-8 PM Tuesday and Wednesday in the Library’s Writing Center.

There’s also a number of different prizes you can win and a free dinner. I’m pretty sure there’s a group of students on campus who make it their mission to find all the free food on campus, so take note of that.

Again, pre-registration is required and today is the last day to do so. Take advantage of this amazing opportunity organized by your school! You never know what you’ll learn about yourself and what you want to do with your future when you go out and talk to people who actually work in the field that you’re interested in.