6 Steps to Make the Most of a Career Fair
Going to a Career Fair?
Fall and Spring are the two seasons I see career fairs pop up the most frequently. Why? For one, students are returning to college campuses in the fall. In the Spring, seniors start interviewing for those coveted post grad positions. Other students search internships for the summer months. Additionally, according to cio.com, based on data from recruiting and hiring software platform SmartRecruiters, May, June and July are the best times to look for talent. “May, June and July are the peak hiring season, as candidates are looking to start fresh in the springtime, after their reviews, and companies are trying to get a jump on hiring before the end of a year when everything slows down.” - Jerome Ternynck, CEO of SmartRecruiters
Tons of tables. Tons of employers. Tons of students vying for the same thing: a job opportunity. How do you make the most of a career fair? Here are some tips to confidently work the room like a pro, maximize your time, and ultimately, network to make meaningful connections and land that future job.
1. Research Prior to Attending
This is one of the most important tips I can offer. It’s proved useful in my own experiences at career fairs on my college campus and at events in the city. Most career fairs hosts’ will provide or list the employer participants before the actual event. Choose a few employers that you are especially interested in and prioritize researching them first. When you arrive the day of the actual career fair, read the map or guide to locate these employers first and maximize your time.
2. Bring Your Resume
It’s important to have plenty of copies of your resume on hand. You never know how many tables you’ll stop at, or how many employers you’ll talk to.
3. Dress for Success
It goes without saying, but first impressions are everything. Dress in the way you would want the employer to remember you. I would recommend business casual, if not business professional to err on the side of caution.
4. Prepare Questions
What do you want to know about the employer or company? An advantage of career fairs is that they are designed to expose students and candidates alike to employers with the purpose of information exchange! No employer expects you to make small talk, so don’t feel awkward about being blunt and asking the questions you really want answers to about their company culture, programs, and opportunities. Try to make your questions genuine and relevant to the conversation, and be careful not to come off too scripted or insincere.
5. Collect Employer Information
Collect the business card or contact information of the recruiters and employers you talk to so you can…
6. Follow Up
This is the easiest and best way to ensure the employers you spoke to will remember you. Career fairs can be 4+ hours, and the candidate to employer ratio is much greater than employers to candidates. Recruiters are being handed tens of, sometimes, hundreds of, resumes. Stand out by following up with specific reminders of your conversation after the career fair. Connect with the individuals you spoke with on LinkedIn, and maintain that connection for the future.
Career fairs can be nerve-wracking to many, but with these simple tips in mind, flexibility, and a calm attitude, you can really capitalize on the opportunity and facetime with employers.
You may find your future job with a simple conversation walking up to a table…
