Though they can be overwhelming at times, career fairs are a great way to interact with prospective employers, and attain information about organizations in various industries. To help boost your confidence and preparedness when searching for meaningful employment, here are some of our top tips to be successful at career fairs!
Here are some things that will help you leave a lasting impression:
- Greet the employer with manners and a firm handshake, and always maintain eye contact!
- Dress as though you were attending an interview, so polished and professional!
- Be able to promote yourself in a concise way. Time is of the essence!
- Plan ahead. Develop questions to ask and do some research about the companies attending the career fair; showing interest in a company instead of just showing interest in a job role goes a long way.
- Bring multiple copies of your resume.
- Optional: Bring an appointment book in the case that interviews can be scheduled on the spot.
Here’s what you should stay away from:
- Avoid using negative words like “can’t” and “won’t” in conversation.
- Don’t say “I believe” or “I think” when it comes to representing yourself as a marketable candidate.
- Be confident in yourself! Recruiters attend these job fairs because they want to add qualified and bold people to their teams.
- Do not simply leave your resume on tables because it may not get read.
- Instead, market yourself by directly interacting with employers. If there is a big crowd, patiently wait your turn, or move on to other companies and save time while considering returning to the employer after some time has passed.
- Do not exaggerate your abilities; you don’t want to get into a job that you are not able to do!
- Present yourself and your abilities in a convincing but clear manner.
- Do not ask questions about salary – save that for the later stages!
- Do not interrupt a conversation that an employer is having with another student.
- Good manners go a long way!
- Do not schedule interviews that you do not plan to attend. You could be taking away interview opportunities from other students who are intentional about attending the interview.
For additional career support, please visit Career Services.
