The important thing is this: "To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become."
Charles du Bois
College Career Fairs are a terrific way to find out more information about companies you may be interested in working for. You will often get the opportunity to talk with employees, managers and recruiters of attending companies.
Career Fairs can be large or small and typically have representatives from both large and small companies as well as government organizations. Individual employers have booths with display areas that contain information on the company. Career Fairs are a good way to practice for formal interviews. You have an opportunity to meet company representatives on an informal basis where you can practice some self-marketing.
How Should I Prepare for a Career Fair?
Career Fairs are not interviews, but it is a good idea to spend some time preparing before you attend. You should put together a one minute commercial of yourself which you can use when you introduce yourself to a company's representative(s). This commercial should contain your name, your class year and whether you are interested in a part-time, full-time, co-op, or internship position. You also need to indicate your career interest, your major and finally why you are interested in talking to the specific company. Remember, this is not an interview but it is a good way to impress recruiters within the first few minutes of a conversation.
Before a career fair, spend some time researching the companies you want to meet with. By researching the companies beforehand, it shows your interest in the company and that will make you stand out from other potential candidates. It is important that you dress professionally. Suits are recommended for both men and women. Please review the Career Center's Guidelines for appropriate interview dress.
Bring multiple copies of your resume and make sure that there are no typos! You want to impress the company's representative(s), so make sure you proofread your resume several times before making final copies on resume paper.
What Do I Do When I Get There?
When you stop by a company's booth, take time to introduce yourself. Never just drop your resume without having a short conversation with the company's representative(s). If the booth is busy, stick a quick note on your resume saying that you are interested in talking with them and that they were busy with other students and didn't get the chance to meet you during the Career Fair. Always try to get the recruiter's business card.
What Questions Should I Ask During a Career Fair?
The questions you ask at a career fair will depend on your goals. Are you interested in working for a particular company or are you exploring an industry? Some possible questions include:
- What would be considered the ideal experience for this job?
- Could you describe the work environment?
- Could you describe what a typical day might be like?
- What are the career paths in this department and/or organization?
- Do people typically work within teams or alone?
- How is job performance measured within the company?
- How would you describe your organizations personality or culture?
- How is success measured?
Is There Anything I Should Do After the Career Fair?
After the Career Fair is over, take time to look at the information you have gathered on the companies. Make notes of the conversations you have had with company representatives. If you find you are interested in working for a particular company, take the time to send the company representative a thank-you note indicating that you are interested in looking at job opportunities within their company.
R-MC Career Fairs for this Year include:
Click here to see On-campus Career Fairs
Click here to see On-campus Recruiting Events