With as many as 7,000 students attending a single career fair, standing out can be difficult and stressful. Students never know if they’re going to meet their future employer or co-worker.
To ease any student’s nerves, here are some tips on how to navigate a career fair whether it’s your first or last time attending.
Identify your goals
Before going to a career fair, Jennifer Neef, director of The Career Center, recommends figuring out if going to a career fair suits your best interest.
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“The first thing is making a decision. Is this career fair aligned with my career interests and the kinds of opportunities that I’m trying to land? Because they may not be. And if they’re not, then it may not be a good use of the students’ time,” Neef said.
Neef cited students who are interested in careers in state and local government as an example.
“We have a lot of students that are interested in going into state and local government, (but) state and local government agencies tend not to attend career fairs,” Neef said. “So for students that have those interests, we would coach them to use a different strategy to find those opportunities.”
Career fairs can also allow students to explore different job and internship opportunities.
“(Career fairs) are a great way to explore opportunities for students that are not quite certain you know what kind of jobs or internships they may want going to a career fair,” Neef said. “Seeing the wide variety of opportunities that are available or that are presented by a variety of employers at a career fair can serve as an exploration tool as well.
If there are internship and job opportunities that relate to your career interests or you want to explore your options, attending that particular career fair might be the right decision.
Research the companies attending
Neef explained that researching companies that attend career fairs can help students identify which employers they would like to interact with. It can also gauge what types of internships and job opportunities are available.
Students can explore the list of companies attending a career fair on Handshake. Once you select “Employers,” you can see the names of companies, their descriptions, and mission, as well as the jobs and internship positions they need to fill.
“It’s important for the student to do the research. Like, why do they want this position? What particular position at the company do they want?” Neef said. “Going to the company website and actually applying before the career fair are all strategies that will help the student understand a little bit about the company.”
Review the company’s mission statement, website and social media accounts to gauge what makes this company unique and exciting. You can also search for recent news articles and press releases to expand your knowledge about the company.
Plan conversations with employers
Once you’ve identified your goals and done your research, it’s time to figure out what to say to recruiters.
Neef commented on how it can be repetitive for an employer to hear the same thing from each student over and over again.
“I always encourage students not to lead with their major and not to lead with their year because everybody else does that,” Neef said.
Instead, Neef believes students should talk about why they’re interested in the company and the available job opportunities based on the research they’ve done.
“Lead with ‘I’m interested in this internship with your company because I’m interested in learning these skills or getting this kind of experience,’” Neef said. “And then following up on ‘I believe I’m going to be successful because I have these skills and this is what I’m studying and this is aligned with my career interests.’”
Laila Calhoun, junior in AHS who went to the Part-Time Career Fair last year, explained her interactions with recruiters.
“You just walk around to the different tables and different areas and ask them about the jobs, their offerings and they ask you a little bit about yourself. So it’s kind of (like) interviews in a way because you’re just getting to know the employer, the employer is getting to know you,” Calhoun said.
But not everyone can jump-start a conversation with a recruiter on the spot. Calhoun recommended one way to overcome nerves surrounding speaking to an employer.
“Practice in the mirror. It might sound silly, but just hearing yourself talk out loud, it definitely does help,” Calhoun said. “Just (have) a little mock interview session with a friend or a loved one, have them ask you a few questions, and see how you respond to them.”
Follow up with employers
After conversing with recruiters, it’s important to follow up to maintain contact. Neef recommended that students thank the employer for their time and reiterate their excitement about the company.
“Try to get the employer’s email or name. If you get a name you might be able to search them up on LinkedIn and send a message to them,” Neef said.
“If you’re lucky enough to get an email address for someone you know later that night or within 24 hours, send a note,” Neef said. “‘Dear such and such, I really enjoyed our conversation at the University of Illinois Career Fair. I am especially interested in your internship and I’m super excited for the opportunity to potentially be part of your interview process. I’ve attached my resume for your reference. Have a good day.’”
Career fairs aren’t the only resource for students trying to find opportunities to launch their careers. Neef explained the Career Center is filled with people who want to help students accomplish their career goals.
“We encourage students to take advantage of these services and these resources because they don’t have to go at it alone,” Neef said. “And sometimes students don’t know what their goals are, and that’s okay here. Even if someone doesn’t know where to start we can help unpack that and guide students along the entire journey.”
