With the Education Career Fair this week (Monday) and the Career Fair & Graduate School Fair next week, I thought we should discuss making the most out of a career fair. Here are 5 ways you can be a success at the Career Fair.
1. Before the career fair do your research! The Career Center has a list of all participating organizations on our website for your convenience. Research them, find out exactly what they do and what they have to offer you. By doing your research you can develop questions to ask the recruiters and make a positive lasting impression.
2. Take at least 20 copies of your resume with you to the Career Fair. You may only have 5 or 10 organizations in mind, but you need to be prepared in case you see one you had not thought about. Approach as many organizations as possible.
3. Dress to make a great impression. Come dressed to impress the recruiter. If you are actively seeking a job or internship wear a business suit. The recruiter needs to be able to picture you in their work environment. If you are just on a fact finding mission and trying to discover exactly what is out there, wear at least business casual. No jeans, flip-flops, spaghetti straps, or unprofessional wear.
4. Go up to the recruiters. Don’t wait for the recruiters to come up to you. You need to be proactive in the job search, not reactive. Also, gather company literature, applications, and most importantly business cards.
5. Say a simple thank you after the Career Fair. For the organizations that you are really interested in and spent time with at the Career Fair, send the recruiters thank you notes within 48 hours of the fair. This will let the recruiter know that you are really interested and refresh their memory of who you are.
For more tips on making the most out of the Career Fair check out this webpage: http://www.cofc.edu/%7Ecareer/expoguide_students.htm.
