Planning how you are going to tackle a career fair will help you make a strong impression on potential employers, which can lead to future jobs or internships. It’s essential to prepare in advance and research the companies attending. You’ll want to have a game plan when you get there. Making the effort to stand out shows initiative, communication skills, and readiness for the professional world.
Collegeboxes is here to help you, whether this is your first time meeting potential employers or you’re looking for your next great opportunity. We have all the right resources to help you ace this career fair and more.
1. Research the Companies
When you go to a career fair, you should know exactly who you want to talk to and what questions you want to ask. There can be hundreds of companies at the fair, so you should only talk to those you are interested in.
The career fair will post a list of companies scheduled to attend, so take advantage of this and research them ahead of time. Create a list of questions that you want to ask to show you are prepared.
2. Bring Copies of Your Resume
Always bring printed copies of your resume to a career fair. Make sure to tailor each resume to the companies you’re interested in and bring a couple of extra copies. You should create a unique resume for each company, customized with keywords and relevant experience to the job being advertised or the culture of the company itself.
If you have a more general resume, bring copies of that, too — you never know if another company will catch your eye. Representatives at the table may ask you about your experience, so make sure you have answers prepared. Finally, be prepared to apply online, as many companies now accept online applications only.
3. Prepare Your Elevator Pitch
An elevator pitch is an important part of career fair preparation; you should prepare a 30-second to 1-minute pitch on why they should hire you. The idea is that you can pitch your experience in the time it takes to ride an elevator. This pitch should include relevant skills, professional or leadership experience, and your field of study.
State your most recent experience first, then work your way back, finishing with high school accomplishments. Once you finish your pitch, ask the recruiter a question to move the conversation forward and make your pitch feel more natural. A good elevator pitch will help you be memorable and set you apart from other students.
4. Bring a Snack
This might sound like an odd tip, but it works! Bring a couple of granola bars (or other quick packaged items) for the representatives, and yourself, working at the career fair. When you talk to recruiters, let them know you appreciate them being there and offer them a snack – they haven’t had a break all day, so they might be hungry! It’s a thoughtful gesture, and it will help you stand out from the other candidates.
5. Dress Appropriately
Don’t come to the career fair in your sweats or everyday casual clothes. You should be dressed professionally, preferably in a full suit or slacks with a dress shirt and appropriate shoes.
That doesn’t mean you need to go out and spend a lot of money on a new outfit. Check out thrift and consignment stores; they usually have secondhand suits, dress shirts, blouses, and shoes.
6. Collect Contact Information
Bringing a pen and paper to write down information shows initiative. Don’t use your phone to take notes, and even if you think you’ll remember something, you should still write it down. After you are done talking to a recruiter, make sure you collect their contact information. Whether you get a phone number, email address, business card, or a LinkedIn connection, make sure to contact them later.
7. After the Career Fair
What you do after a career fair can be the most important part. Organize all your notes and other information you gathered and make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date with your experience. At this point, you should contact the representatives that you connected with at the career fair. Let them know that you appreciated their time and include a specific piece of information you learned, or you want to know more about.
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