Before the Career Fair
- Research the companies that are attending and prepare questions for each company based on your research.
- Decide who you want to meet and talk with. Allow a minimum of 15 minutes for each of the companies you would like to talk to
- Prepare and print your resumes.
- Create and practice your elevator pitch. This 30- to 60-second speech should explain who you are, what your skills are, and what your career goal is.
The Day of the career Fair
- Things to bring to the career fair:
- Extra Copies of Your Resume: Depending on the size of the recruiting fair, you will need 20-40 copies of your resume.
- Target Resumes for Each Career Option: If you are thinking about two or more career opportunities, write targeted resumes for each option.
- Information about the Organizations
- Your Smart Phone, put it on silent, but do bring your Smart Phone. You might need to do a last-minute search on a company you are interested in. You might also need to take a picture of the recruiter’s business card right after you meet them in case they don’t have enough to pass around.
- Energy and Enthusiasm
- Prepare yourself mentally with these Ted Talks:
- Dress the part: Review the dress guidelines for the career fair you will be attending. If there are none, a business professional outfit is always the safest option.
After the Career Fair
- Follow up with company representatives you talked to: Company representatives could meet more than a hundred candidates in a day. Sending a thank you note is one more way to make yourself stand out.
- Continue to network: Do not hesitate to tell people who might be connected to your ideal company about your goals and dreams. Sometime your network is more effective than a resume at getting you through the doors of your dream company.
