2019-20

Career Fairs are some of the most exciting and nerve-racking professional adventures you can have during your time in college. Though they may seem intimidating, you have to remember that the employers want to get to know you just as much as you want to get to know them. When preparing for career fairs developed for first and second year students, there are several factors that you should plan for before you go. 

1. Do research on the companies who will be attending. Check Handshake to see which companies will be at the career fair. Don’t forget to take a look at the company bios and see if they have posted information on which majors they are hiring and roles that may be available. 
2. Make a list of companies that you want to visit. We recommend planning to visit 5-8 companies that sparked your interest. Mapping out who you want to talk to ahead of time will give you a better idea of how you can maximize your time once you are there.
3. Prepare your resume. Leading up to a career fair, you should plan to fine tune your resume through self-editing and, as time allows, by getting feedback from mentors or the staff at the Career Center. We suggest you bring copies of your generic resume AND resumes that you have edited to cater specifically to companies that you have researched and are interested in. 
4. Think about how you want to present yourself. What do you want to learn from the role you are seeking? How do your interests align with the companies you will talk to? Thinking about how to draw these connections ahead of time will help your conversations flow with the representatives more seamlessly. 
5. Bring up the position you are interested in or ask about available opportunities. Showing initiative by asking about opportunities with the company will speak volumes about your interest. If you saw a position that caught your eye on Handshake, be sure to bring it up so that the company knows you have done your research. 
6. Ask for their business card. Doing this implies that you felt you had a valuable conversation and want to keep in touch. After walking away from a company’s table, write a note on the back of the business card that references an important part of your conversation (this is helpful for future communication). 
7. Make sure to thank them for their time. The representatives talk to many people during the career fairs, so to thank them not only for talking to you, but also for simply being there is a polite way to show appreciation. 
8. Follow up with them. After the career fair, you want to make sure to follow up with the contacts you made. This can be done either on LinkedIn or via email. As a reminder, if you send a follow up email, you can try and include your resume (if you feel it is appropriate). At this point, it is a perfect time to reference the note on the back of this person’s business card so they remember who you are. 

Most of all, don’t be afraid to be yourself and understand that a company needs you as much as you need them. Career fairs are a two way street and in the end, they are great opportunities to practice your networking skills!