Essential Steps to Career Fair Success

Attending career fairs can be a great way of creating contacts, even if you don’t get any job interviews out of the event. By following these simple steps you can dramatically increase your chances of getting a positive result.

Preparation

Choose a fair to attend, and find out in advance about what companies will be recruiting (your best bet is usually the agency hosting the fair). Decide which companies you’re most interested in then visit their web sites to check available positions and find out more about the company.

Prepare a brief speech to introduce yourself to each recruiter. Include your name, a short snippet about your work experience, and the position you’re interested in.

Plan to attend in the morning, rather than during the afternoon rush. Recruiters will see many people over the day, and their ability to remember names and faces will decrease during the afternoon.

On the Day

Before you start talking to recruiters, gather material from the booths you’re planning to visit, and review it before you start speaking with recruiters. During the conversation, listen for extra information that isn’t included in the material you picked up from the booth. If you’re interested in a position within the company, ask the recruiter for a business card.

When the conversation is over, find somewhere you can write a short note—most fairs will have a candidate lounge where you can do this. Write a brief note to the recruiter, thanking them for their time. If you managed to pick up any extra information, include a reference to this. Attach it to your resume before dropping it off in the recruiter’s resume box. The note will help a busy recruiter who might receive dozens or even hundreds of resumes remember you.

Following Up

If you decide you’re interested in a position within one of the companies you made contact with, your last step is following up on the groundwork you laid at the fair.

Visit the company web site again, and apply using the format the company specifies. In your cover letter, open by stating that you learned of the position at the career fair you attended, and mention your conversation with the recruiter. If the recruiter’s email address is listed on their business card, you can also follow up by emailing them directly in addition to your formal application.

Also, please review our Tools to Find a Job section.  If you need more help, please consider using a Career Counselor.