bad experience at career fair.. discouraged

[jovahutc]

So the career fair I went to yesterday was a humiliating experience for myself. It was a criminal justice career fair and all of the top angencies were there. I don't know what what is wrong with me to have gone there so incredibly nervous. I wasn't really nervous until I stepped in there, I just felt so out of place. Going in there with no confidence and nervous as all hell, I was just a trainwreck. I know that the officers and the FBI agent I talked to sensed it and then I felt like I could never be one of them. I don't know if I was intimidated or what, I just couldn't seem to not be so nervous and shaky.

And I couldn't stop saying stupid things. At one point I'm talking to the officers and I tell them I'm interested in the FBI, but somehow I guess I was so nervous that it got twisted to me just wanting to use a police officer job as a means of getting to the FBI. That's the way they understood it. Because then they're like well we don't want people joining us only to leave us. Completely misunderstood moment and I don't know how that got so twisted. Actually I'd be very content if I could ever become a police officer and would stay with it as if it were my dream job. I felt like such an idiot after that I had to leave.

Part of the reason I had career aspirations such as this is because I wanted to become a stronger person. Going in there just completely discouraged me. Even the police officer I talked to told me he didn't think I should apply. Maybe it was because he saw right through me and how nervous I was, maybe he just figured I was too weak.

I wanted to do this because I can see myself working in law enforcement and it's the only subject in college I seem to be interested in. The job fair just completely shot me down with the way things went.

[Cat_Doc]

Thou doth protest too much.

It was a job fair, not a job interview.

Give yourself some more time and life experiences to mature/enhance confidence, then show them what you got.

Good luck with your future endeavors.

[fatboyjim154]

Don't sweat it too much. Just like going to buy a car, you have a look around and although no test drive though it's for you to get a feel of the depts.

Save your 'real' nerves for the first day you fly solo!!

[Joeyd6]

I agree with Cat Doc.

You are one of hundreds of faces they see. I have had kids come up to me and tell me I had spoke to them at another career fair and I woudl never have recognized them. If you need a "confidence booster" you shoudl look up your local "Toastmasters." It will build your conversational skills, public speaking skills, build your confidence, and introduce to others in the same boat in your community. It is a great resource that many young folks ignore. Its a $20 fee to join and then $27 "dues" every six months which pretty much covers the food at each meeting. So that equates to $47 for the first six months and $27 every 6 months thereafter. I was a guest speaker at a meeting about dealing with hostile folks and was shocked to see who were members...many who would be good people to know including the police chief, a state senator, TV reporter, radio DJ and several business folks, all there to participate and learn. I highly recommend it!

[retdetsgt]

Or, if you're still in college take some sort of communications/public speaking class and get credit for it.

Also, one of the things I learned a long time ago was not to think out loud when talking to strangers... It never comes out well.

[pabgyanghao]

don't be discouraged. everybody has ups and downs.

[marinepilot]

Okay, on this one, not only is the thread over 8 months old, but the OP (Original Poster) has been banned! No need for this one to have received any kind of new post...

Another closed thread.