I went to the Halifax career fair yesterday. I've been here for three years, but this was my first one. I'm not sure why I didn't go to one before. Maybe because I always considered it a hassle, something that wouldn't really be worth my time, or maybe I was just too lazy. Either way, I'm glad I went yesterday . I copied my resume, donned my suit and tie, polished my shoes and crossed the bridge to Dartmouth.

The place was filled with engineering companies. I was blown away, you'd walk by a both and the recruiters would actually jump out and shake your hand.

"So you're from Dal." A recruiter emerged from the crowd in front of the first booth I had glanced at. I was shocked. A very attractive woman, bursting out of no where and jumping into my face, "close talking".

I regained my footing and shook her hand. "Why yes I am, Dal Mechanical engineering actually, I'm Colum Furey." She smiled and introduced herself and began her speech. I made a joke about how my name tag wouldn't stick to my Suit jacket (a la Larry David) and then I dove straight into the prepared question list I had made, asking about co-op opportunities, salaries and all the like.

I moved from booth to booth, now ready for what was going to happen. The same scene played out, overly enthusiastic recruiters jumping out, smiling, waving me in. Each one seeing the Dalhousie emblem name tag and asking if I was an engineering student. Was it written in invisible ink on me somewhere?

I had only brought 10 copies of my resume and had handed them all out in less than an hour and a half. In most cases the recruiters had asked me my discipline and my GPA. Most of them had been amazed, they hadn't bothered hiding it either.

"4 point Oh?" The repeated back to me, somewhat in disbelief.

"Well it's out of 4.30, but it still represents an A average, 80-90 percent roughly." I said, trying to be humble, but my ego was screaming "YES!!! They love this shit!" from behind my blushing cheeks.

"That's incredible, you must really have self discipline and drive" yadda yadda. "Do you have a resume?" "Could we have a copy?... " You're really what this company is looking for..." yadda yadda... They enthusiastically told me.

....
It was really something else. I'm so used to having to go and hunt for jobs only to be met by unenthusiastic, unmotivated HR people and being told unapologetically, "we're not hiring", or "sorry, we don't have an positions available right now, but we'll gladly keep your application on file."

Even if nothing comes from all the "networking with employers", it was nice, even fun to have employers actually want you, compliment and even fight over you.

...... And what made it all happen? The study I'm so often told... And so I get back to it... hoping the sacrifice of this weekend and the last and what ever else needed after that maybe worth it.