Attend a College Career Fair
Attending a college career fair can be a great way for new college graduates or postgraduate students to learn more about employment opportunities in their chosen job field and network with potential employers. College career fairs tend to be large, crowded and busy, so it's important to know how to attend a college career fair efficiently and to use them to your best advantage.
Steps
- Dress professionally
- It's important to make a good first impression when you attend a college career fair, because the representatives you meet with are potential employers. Be sure to dress at least business casual, which means leaving jeans and sneakers at home. Iron your clothes the night before and make sure everything is neat, clean and tucked in.
- Plan ahead
- You might have to register to go to a college career fair, so check with your school's graduate adviser to find out when fairs are scheduled during the school year. This will also give you a target date so you have enough time to get your resume organized and obtain a list of companies that will be represented.
- Create a great resume
- A great resume is vital to network at a college career fair, so make sure yours is updated and organized. Work with an adviser to organize your current resume and bring lots of copies to distribute to representatives that you meet.
- Prioritize ahead of time
- Get a list of the companies that will be represented at the college career fair ahead of time. Make a priority list of the companies you most want to meet with or that you think fit best with your education so you can target these tables first.
- Write a list of questions for representatives
- Keep yourself calm and organized when talking to company representatives at the college career fair by writing up a general list of questions ahead of time. These should include any information you want to know about the company or potential career, such as starting salary or salary structure, advancement possibilities, ongoing training or educational opportunities, and position openings.
- Advertise yourself
- In addition to presenting your resume, you'll need to sell yourself when you talk to company recruiters. Create a list or short paragraph with the most pertinent information about your job experience and college studies that will make you an asset to potential employers.
- Take business cards to follow up
- Get a business card from every recruiter or representative you talk with and follow up with them a few days later. They may want to schedule a follow-up interview after you graduate. Your call or email will keep your face and resume fresh in their minds and increase the chances of them calling you back for an interview.
