Jana Mathews, a professor of Medieval literature at Rollins College, checks the bathrooms to coax out students hiding from the big event in her Job Market Boot Camp class, a mixer with alumni to practice professional networking.
For many of her students, the face-to-face conversations with strangers are more nerve-racking than decoding Chaucer. Sydney Parmet had trouble sleeping the night before and considered skipping it. “I kept overthinking what I was going to say and second-guessed whether I should say anything,” said Parmet, who graduated in May from the Winter Park, Fla., campus.
Mathews recommends students try swiping deodorant on palms to avoid clammy handshakes. Those who vomit from nerves should pop a breath mint. If the question, “Tell me about yourself,” triggers temporary amnesia, consult your prepared script, she says. Students practice moving from introductions to asking about the other person to giving their elevator pitch that covers their interests, work experience and skills.
Parmet said she was awkward when she entered the room until another student pulled her into a conversation, and she explained her dream of finding a job for a nonprofit. She now works for a group that aids homeless families and those at risk of becoming homeless.