As senior year rolls around in college, there is a certain sense of anxiety and ambiguity that each of us has to deal with. All of us have to grapple with questions we have no answers for. What do I want to do after college? Where do I want to work? Will I get the dream job I’m searching for? Am I ready to be a real adult?! Now it is not just about academics anymore, but the dreaded job searches as well. In a short while, a ton of responsibilities and pressures pile up. Too quickly for anyone to kind of keep up with.
An easy way by which you can begin your job search is with a career fair. From the sound of it, career fairs can be really intimidating, but they are super important in getting yourself out there. A typical career fair will be hosted by a college where they will invite lots of companies in specific fields to try and find their ideal candidates at the host campus. First of all, why are career fairs important when most companies require an online application? Because the employers know a career fair is still the best way of actually meeting potential hires. Most of these employers will explain the ins and outs of their particular online process. So it’s important to ask the employer what they like to see on the online application.
Last week, I attended the career fair at WPI, which hosted over 40 companies from 12-4 pm. It was a fairly large event in terms of the companies and the number of people that were in attendance. I had planned to go with three other friends, but they all backed out an hour or so before actually going because of illness or too much work. I feel people do not give a lot of importance to career fairs, but from my experience and from talking to all the people who have graduated, attending a career fair is a major step in your job search process. Especially if you don’t have a lot of experience talking about your past job or internships. So once I realized I am going all by myself, it took me a while to come to terms with it. I was extremely nervous! But I had to motivate and push myself to be able to do it.
I had already done my research on the companies I wanted to talk to and made a list of about 6-7 companies. Once I got there, amidst 1500 other people, I was still nervous. No one knew me there, I wasn’t even from the same school, but it still took a few minutes to actually go up to a recruiter and begin a conversation. The first step is always the hardest, but after a while I kind of settled into that environment. I managed to successfully talk to all the companies I had on my list and had positive experiences with all of them!
Listed below are a few tips for students to take the anxiety out of the experience, and impress prospective employers:
Before the fair:
Find out what businesses will be there. The more information you can gather beforehand, the more successful the career fair is going to be for you. Find out what businesses are going to be at the career fair, and spend some time doing some research about them. What types of jobs do they have open? What kind of people are they looking for? What kinds of skills do these people need to have?
Develop some questions you'd like to ask employers. Narrow down your list of businesses to include those who have positions you are interested in, or are businesses you think you might like to work for. Then list some questions you would like to ask the company representative at the career fair.
Proofread your resume - at least twice. If you don't already have one, it is a good idea to put a resume together for a career fair. It gives employers a blueprint of your skills and something tangible to remember you by. Be sure to proofread your resume before the job fair to find any spelling or grammatical mistakes. If there are any, it shows you don’t have attention to detail.
During the fair:
Dress the part. As with a job interview, first impressions at a career fair are important. How you represent yourself sends an immediate message to employers about how serious you are in your job search. It isn't always necessary to wear a suit to a career fair - unless you are looking for a job that would require you to dress professionally at work. “Business Casual” is usually the most appropriate at a job fair - nice pants and a collared shirt for men and nice slacks or a skirt and a blouse for women are appropriate. Make sure your clothes are clean and pressed. Avoid wearing excessive jewelry or clothing that is too short or revealing.
Take time to talk to employers. Don't just drop off a resume and move to the next booth. Take time to get additional information and make an impression. The point is not to see how many resumes you can give to employers in the least amount of time - it is to establish some solid job prospects. Also, try to avoid approaching employers when they are crowded by a large group of jobseekers. Approaching a crowded booth makes it difficult for employers to answer your individual questions, and they are less likely to remember you when they return to their offices.
After the fair:
Follow up with a thank you email. Experts agree that follow-up is an important part of attending a career fair. If you picked up a business card, or the name of the company’s career fair representative, send a thank you email a day or two after the job fair. This is not only polite, but will let the representative know you paid attention, are serious about the job, and that you are the right person for it.
