Gather Career Information
Gather Internship Information
Gather Employment Information
The following tips on how to prepare, how to present yourself, and what to expect afterwards can help you feel more confident and have a more successful job fair experience.
Clarify your goals and what you want to get out of the day. Check to be sure that your goals and expectations are consistent with the purpose of the event. Employers attend career events for several reasons: to increase awareness of their organization; to provide career information; to increase their applicant pool; and to locate good candidates for internships and jobs they are trying to fill now or in the future.
Freshmen and Sophomores will find organization representatives very helpful in providing information about a wide range of occupational choices, and how they relate to a variety of academic majors. They also can help you clarify your academic and career goals, and your expectations of the world of work. Employers won't expect you to be dressed up for an interview, but appropriate dressed for meeting the public.
You might ask these types of questions: What is a typical day like in this career field? What changes are occurring in this field? What specific skills, education and experience do you look for in new college graduates? What kinds of advancement opportunities does your organization offer? What trends do you see impacting the future of this field, and organizations like yours? How do salaries in this field compare with other fields? What are the biggest challenges in this field? What are some professional associations in this field, or other sources of career information? How should I prepare myself to be a strong candidate for jobs with organizations like yours? Tell me more about your organization: products and services offered, age, size, location, ownership, current challenges, future trends, etc.
Sophomores and Juniors will want to talk with organization representatives about potential internship opportunities. Some of these questions may be helpful. Does your organization have an established internship program? If not, are you interested in setting up an individual college student internship? In what types of activities are your interns able to become involved? Are your internships paid or volunteer? How does your internship supervisor coordinate the learning experience with campus faculty? Do you prefer a student intern to work full-time for a semester, or work part-time while taking classes? What is your application process for internships? Tell me more about your organization: products and services offered, age, size, location, ownership, current challenges, future trends, etc.
Graduating Seniors will want to be the most prepared to talk with Career Day participants. Since many organizations have decreased their on-campus recruiting activities, Career Day will provide a unique opportunity to make job contacts. Take the initiative to make a timely, appropriate and effective follow-up with each employer that seemed to have some job potential for you. Before leaving an employer's table, ask how you should best follow-up, who the best contact person is, and which telephone number to call. If possible, get the employer's business card.
Seniors will want to do their homework in the following areas:
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Research the employers scheduled to attend Career Day. Know enough about these employers to tell them why you are interested and to connect your background to their needs.
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Prepare a resume that presents your background and interests clearly and concisely. Employers want to know about your education, such as your major, relevant courses and GPA, as well as your previous work experience, internships, co-curricular activities and volunteer work.
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Prepare a one-minute "commercial" that introduces yourself, demonstrates that you know something about the organization and the work it does, expresses why you are interested in the organization, and briefly relates your background to what you know about the employer's needs.
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Practice your commercial. Try to anticipate the kinds of questions employers might ask, and prepare sample answers. The best way to make a positive, lasting impression is by relating your interests and goals to what you know, or can discover, about the employer's needs. When approaching an employer you know little about, ask several probing questions that will obtain the information needed to connect your background, interests and goals.
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Prepare questions you want employers to answer, such as: What types of employment opportunities does your organization represent? Tell me more about your organization: products and services offered, age, size, location, ownership, current challenges, future trends, etc. What characteristics do you look for in applicants? What factors seem to contribute to success in your organization? How does your organization provide supervision and training? What opportunities for advancement are available within your organization? What is your application process for new college graduates? May I leave you a copy of my resume?
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Employers will be impressed by students who: Dress and act professionally- treat Career Day like a real interview. Demonstrate confidence, interest and enthusiasm. Have good non-verbal skills - direct eye contact and a firm handshake- and avoid distracting mannerisms. Answer questions clearly and concisely. Ask questions that demonstrate knowledge of their chosen field and that are appropriate (e.g., avoid initial questions about salary, benefits, vacation, sick leave policy, etc.)
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