Even if (occasionally) skipping class is a habit, you don’t want to skip this — a college career fair is the perfect place to fish for that post-college gig. But you have to impress the employer representatives who attend, and you only get a few minutes to do so! Standing out from the college crowd will maximize your chances of scoring a job offer, or at least landing an interview. Leave a lasting impression — the good kind — with these tips on how to conduct yourself at a college career fair:
Dress the Part: No, not the part of “hung over college kid.” Dress like the job seeker you are, for the dream job you’re looking to score. So ditch the sweatpants and get a little dolled up. For most college career fairs, “business casual” should work fine — that’s a button-down and pants for men, a blouse and pants or a skirt for women. Some fairs, though, may request “interview attire” — think suits or a smart, conservative dress with a jacket — especially for business-related career fairs. You can check the career services website or get in touch with the career fair sponsor (typically a certain department within your school) to get the low down on the suggested dress code. And no matter what you wear, make sure it’s ironed, even if you have to borrow the only iron on your dorm floor from the student down the hall. A college career fair is a unique opportunity to grant a possible employer a first impression in person, not electronically, so don’t blow it before you even introduce yourself with a sloppy outfit.
Come Prepared: If you’re really looking to snag a job at a career fair, or at least be first in line for an interview — as opposed to just browsing options — then you need to come prepared. That means printing out plenty of copies of your resume to hand out to employers at the fair. Keep yourself looking neat, not harried, by storing your printed resumes in an embossed folder or leather portfolio (otherwise your loose resumes might go flying all over the place). Being prepared also means having your “elevator speech” down pat. You’ll want to prepare a 20 to 30 second introduction that you can greet potential employers with that conveys who you are, what you’re looking for, and what you may bring to the table. A good elevator speech should be the perfect segue into a rousing back-and-forth between you and the career fair rep, so don’t make it snooze-worthy. If applicable, you can mention an interesting project you worked on recently, or an internship you held in a field similar to the one the potential employer is in. Interesting tidbits like that give the rep an “in,” a.k.a. a chance to ask you a question or two about your experience to break the ice.
Come With a Plan: As a student, you have to juggle your career search with classes and homework, so chances are you won’t be able to linger at your college career fair all afternoon. That’s why you need to come with a plan. Make sure you look at the list of employers who plan on attending the career fair online first (your career center should have the list on their website), and narrow that list down to 10 to 12 that you really want to meet with. Make stopping by those booths your priority — and be sure to take a glance at each employer’s website before the fair. You’ll want to prepare a few questions to ask each rep, but you also want to make sure you’re not asking questions whose answer can be easily found on the company’s website. A good question that shows you’ve done some homework can make a lasting impression on the company’s rep, an impression that just may lead to a new job!
The last step of your plan is making sure you collect a business card from each rep you talk with, so that you can send them a thank you email later on. This step is a bit “above and beyond,” but it’s a smart way to keep your name in front of a company you’re interested in. While these college career fair tactics don’t guarantee that you’ll land a job right away (after all, there’s still the background check process you’ll have to wrangle with), they do up your chances of scoring an interview with a dream employer.
Have you already attended a college career fair? Share your tips and insights with us in the comments below! Or check out this directory of job fairs around the country.
