How to Prepare for a Career Fair
At a career fair, you have the opportunity to meet and make an impression on many prospective employers in a short period of time. A career fair provides excellent opportunities to network with employers in your industry of choice, and taking the time to prepare properly greatly enhances your chances of landing an interview or job offer.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
Get Ready to Attend a Career Fair
-
1
Find a comprehensive list of companies that will be represented at the career fair. Do background research on those that interest you, learning as much as you can about what they do and how they do it. Prepare to illustrate in concrete terms how you think you can become an asset to the company.
-
2
Target the employers you want to go after by focusing your resume to highlight the education, skills and employment experience that is most relevant to the company's business. You may even opt to prepare several different versions of your resume, tailored specifically to what each one is looking for.
-
-
3
Have your resume proofread by someone whose grammar and spelling skills you trust. Typographical and language use errors are red flags that human resources personnel spot right away.
-
4
Prepare a list of questions to ask the employers you're interested in. It is common for informal interviews to take place on the spot at a career fair. Interviews are not a one-sided affair, and having questions to ask prospective employers will make them more confident that you're interested in working for their company.
-
5
Plan your visit to the career fair. Leave yourself ample time to meet with all the company representatives you've targeted. Make wise use of your time by moving on to other companies on your list if you're faced with long lines at a particular booth.
-
6
Rehearse a personal introduction that allows you to sell your skills and make a good impression in a short period of time. Tailor it to each of the companies on your list to include specific information about the company and how you see yourself fitting in there.
-
7
Be courteous, polite and professional to everyone you meet on the day of the career fair. Store your resumes in a professional-looking folder that has an insert where you can store the business cards you'll acquire at the fair. Follow up with every prospective employer you meet with.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If you're a student, you can use your school's career and employment services department to find career fairs in your area.
First impressions make a big difference. Make sure you dress tastefully and professionally.
