3 Ways to Get the Most Out of a Spring Career Fair

Stacy Dymalski — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 19:05:50 +0000

One great reason to be enrolled in campus or online college during the spring semester is because that’s when colleges roll out their annual spring career and internship fairs. These events are where colleges connect their students with the working world, an exercise that the rest of us in the real world pay dearly for when we’re looking for jobs.

But is it enough to just show up at a job fair and expect to get more offers than a prom queen at the spring formal? The answer is no. The most important thing you can do in terms of getting the most out of job fairs is preparation, according to EmploymentGuide.com. Most students (and post grad adults, for that matter) think all you have to do is show up with a resume, chat up the recruiter, and then wait for the job offers to come rolling in. Not so, according to recruiters who make a living attending these events. The job seekers who make the biggest and best impressions at job fairs are those who do their homework before they even step one foot into a booth.

So to help you successfully navigate spring career and internship season, here are three steps that are sure to give you a leading edge at a job fair.

Preparation

Every business has a website so at the very least visit the websites of the companies that are participating in your job fair. Study up on key staff, company history, employee programs, company contacts, annual reports, and any other pertinent information (like the company’s philanthropic endeavors or future plans). Do the same for the industry in which you’re interviewing by reading trade journals, business magazines, and news reports. Use this information to narrow your search down to the top 10 companies you’d like to work for and make appointments with them first.

Make sure your resume doesn’t look like seventh grader wrote it. Use proper grammar, punctuation, and keep the flowery, verbose prose to a minimum. Appearances matter, so follow standard resume format.

Prepare a brief pitch about yourself and practice it until you can confidently rattle it off without breaking a nervous sweat. Get your friends to listen to it and take their feedback into consideration. Look at your pitch as a one-minute commercial about yourself where you have 60 seconds or less to make a favorable impression.

Day of Job Fair

Most importantly don’t dress like some hayseed who just got off the farm. Show up on time, well groomed in clean, appropriate business attire. Men, put on a suit and tie, and women, wear a matching skirt and jacket or pantsuit. When in doubt error on the conservative side. Ladies, forego the heavy perfumes and guys, please, leave your dorky ball caps at home.

Shake hands when you meet someone and look them in the eye when you speak. Lead with your one-minute commercial, but don’t try to dominate the conversation, and don’t go over your allotted time. Answer questions briefly and honestly when asked. Leave your resume (and business card, if you have one) and don’t forget to shake hands again upon your exit.

Afterward

Follow-up with a thank you card or email no later than one week after the job fair (the sooner, the better). Be sure to say that you met at the job fair and mention something you talked about that will make the recruiter remember you. Ask that they consider you for future employment opportunities and that you look forward to hearing from them soon.

Spring college career fairs are one of the best ways to find your first job. Even though most colleges offer career placement services year round, the spring semester career fair is usually the biggest. So write your resume, get your suit dry cleaned, and turn up your charm. Spring break could be your lucky break, in terms of getting a job.

Navigating the Career Fair

Marcus Varner — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:12:47 +0000

I attended a career fair yesterday. It was a wondrous place. Euphoria hung heavy in the air. Oversized signage, cool swag, and brown-nosing abounded. Happy, official-looking folks were vying for my attention, shaking my hand, giving me glossy pamphlets, and otherwise luring me into their candidate pool. They were telling me how absolutely wonderful their company is. A few times, I almost got wrangled into being a scout camp counselor or a tour guide at some shady-looking resort (both of which, I may add, are not in my career plans at all).

Nevertheless, unlike in past years, I went in there with a plan and a lot of research. I fought through the gauntlet of glad-handing. I rejected the flashy swag and signage. I told those smiling people, "Sorry, not interested." I got to the companies I was interested in, and I took care of business. Much to my satisfaction, I left with two scheduled interviews and another three prospects.

What made the difference, you ask? Preparation, preparation, preparation, and a little discipline. Following are the five steps I followed to get ready to sack the career fair and take maximum spoilage:

1. Know what you want.

The best single way to avoid getting pulled in by all those siren voices is to know beforehand what kind of internship or job you want. This means choosing your ideal position and industries. It also helps to decide where you would like to live or which areas you would like to avoid altogether.

Beware: don't go for some jobs, industries, or locations just because they have greater glamour or sex appeal. New York, New York, for instance, is perhaps the sexiest location of them all for young up-and-comers. But, let's face it: not everyone is cut out for the busy, claustrophobic metropolis that is New York. Similarly, not everyone is cut out to be a stock broker, a fashion journalist, or, in my case, a scout camp counselor.

Set a realistic goal for what job you want in what industry and in what part of the world.

2. Research who is hiring for what you want.

Once you've nailed down what you are looking for, it's time to sift through the companies that will attend the career fair and see whose needs best match your goal. This might take some time on the internet, looking at job descriptions and requirements.

As you research, three categories will emerge: 1) jobs that you don't want; 2) jobs that you want and can do; and 3) jobs that you want but are out of your league. Discard the first category. Prepare heavily for the second category. Be prepared to take on the third category, just in case you're feeling extra bold.

In those jobs you want, take note of the key characteristics they are looking for, maybe being a self-starter, a team player, an innovator, etc. These are the key points you will want to emphasize in your resume and when you meet the recruiters.

3. Tweak your resume accordingly.

This probably isn't the first time you've worked your resume, and it probably won't be the last. Resumes take on special importance at career fairs. They are the bullet in your gun. You carry it around. You walk up to your target company, introduce yourself, make some small talk, ask a few brilliant questions, and then, BAM! You hit them with your resume.

Therefore, your resume has to be flawless. It has to address the questions they have when looking for candidates. It has to echo all of those key characteristics you discovered during your research so they can scan the page and see, BAM! BAM! BAM! All of their criteria are being met.

There is a marked difference in their faces when they get a sharp, brilliantly crafted resume compared to when they get a vague stinker. Their faces light up when they get a great resume. They hold it, make notes on it, and neglect all those people standing behind you in line. When they get a stinker, they can't hide their initial shock and then the uneasiness of trying to break it to you kindly. Make sure your resume goes straight to the heart by addressing those key characteristics, and they will be delighted to speak with you.

4. Dress for success.

Too many people are just hanging out in t-shirts and grubby jeans. They may be an accounting genius, but they look like a pot dealer. At career fairs, with all the other prospects swarming around, you need to make an immediate impression. Dressing up sends all the right messages: you are professional, clean, dependable, and well grounded. You don't need to dress like you're going to winter formal, but your dress should say that you are savvy, knowledgeable, and ready to go to work.

For men, this means a clean button-up shirt, dress pants, tidy hair, and polished shoes. The use of ties varies from one industry to another. The larger, more corporate organizations, especially those in the East will tend toward ties. Less structured, more entrepreneurial organizations have largely rejected the tie.

For women, business suits are great unless you are looking for something less corporate.

5. Make a bee line for your targets.

As stated above, it can be very difficult to get sucked into the glamour of the career fair. When you step up to the threshold of the room, scan it carefully for your targets. Maybe get a map and mark your targets. Once you've got your course set, head straight for them. Don't talk to anyone else. Don't accept anyone else's swag. Don't stop to wonder what it be like to work for Milo's House of Cheddar. Go straight for your targets and handle your business.

Be brilliant. Be humble. Be funny and smart. Ask smart questions. Hit them with the resume. Secure some kind of commitment from them. Give them a firm handshake and move on to the next target.

Once you've checked off all your targets, you are then free to check out the other booths, collect swag, etc. But keep your wits about you. Keep your goal in mind. Above all, have fun!

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Education & Careers » career fair

3 Ways to Get the Most Out of a Spring Career Fair

Preparation

Day of Job Fair

Afterward

Navigating the Career Fair