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For me, campus recruiting and internship programs are a lot like coaching a dynamic championship college football team. Each year we build the best internship program possible, recruiting some of the best talent, place them in positions that will harness their talent, and provide coaching and mentoring opportunities designed for professional skill development. I bring 17 years of campus recruiting experience with roughly 25 career fairs per year – estimating 425 career fairs total. At each fair, I speak to around 100-110 students, which means I’ve met with about 42,000 – 45,000 students! 

I’ve experienced A LOT of interactions at campus career fairs, and I’ve subsequently hired HUNDREDS of students for internships and full-time careers. Here are 19 of my best tips for winning the campus career fair.  

Before we get to the tips, you should understand all 3 phases of the campus career fair. There are three distinct phases of any career fair, and they’re pretty obvious: Before, during, and after. Of note is the fact that students spend more time anxious about that “during” time frame than the “before” or the “after,” despite the fact that “during” lasts a few hours, “before” can be weeks, months, or even YEARS, and “after” is interminable.  

More career fairs are won and lost in the “before” phase than the during or the after. At career fairs, employers are going to be meeting dozens and in some cases HUNDREDS of students, so you’ve got to stand out, and the most effective way to stand out isn’t to be gimmicky, it’s to be PREPARED. Preparation is AWESOME at a Career Fair.  

Phase One – Pre-Fair:  

1. Do a personal SWOT analysis. Sit down and really consider your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Lead your career fair discussions with your strengths and how they may line up with a potential employer. Be aware of your weaknesses and how you are addressing them. Understand what opportunities exist in your environment and how to take advantage of them, as well as the threats in your environment and how to manage them.  

2. Research the employers attending the fair. Use the Career Fair Plus app provided by Missouri S&T’s Career Opportunities and Employer Relations office. This is a terrific opportunity to engage your campus career center! Find out who is attending and begin researching – who is hiring students with your major? The career center will know which of those companies have a good track record of hiring students from your school! Use search engines and social media to research employers that interest you. Consider what it is about those companies that stand out to you. 

3. Come up with a plan of action. Which organizations are you prioritizing? Visit them first. Use the provided floor plan to know where your preferred employers are so you have a route ready. 

4. Check your LinkedIn – is your profile 100% complete? If not, make time to complete it so you can follow up with the employers you met and make connections. Ask mentors, professors, prior colleagues, etc. to recommend you on LinkedIn ahead of time so employers see those recommendations when you connect with them. Add your skills. 

5. While you’re at the career center researching companies, get your resume reviewed. Check it for typos or errors – remember, your resume is a professional representation of your written communication skills! 

6. Prepare the questions you want to ask employers. You may not have time to ask many, but if you’re prepared with 4 and get to ask 2, you’re in good shape. 

Phase Two – During the Fair:  

Be aware of the four forms of communication and demonstrate all four of them.  

• Verbal – speak clearly and confidently. Be concise. 

• Non-Verbal – maintain eye contact and good posture. Smile. If you and the employer are comfortable with shaking hands, use a confident but not forceful handshake. Attire must be business professional. 

• Written – See pre-fair, have your resume reviewed. 

• Listening – this brings us to…. 

1. Instead of focusing only on what you are going to SAY, focus on what you are going to HEAR. Spend more of your time listening than talking. You have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Practice ACTIVE LISTENING, using eye contact and focus. Employer reps may be reading you a playbook on how to get hired with their organization. 

2. Take notes, give resumes. If an employer says something that is really interesting or important, when you are done with the discussion, either write it down or text it to yourself to follow up on. Provide a copy of your resume if asked. Don’t be discouraged by the “apply online” response, that is now common for many employers. 

3. If the employer is taking questions, use your preparation to ask some of the questions you prepped, and try to relate them back to what you learned. Keep the questions brief to respect others’ time, including the recruiter.  

4. Answer questions honestly. If the employer rep asks you something, be authentic and honest. If you embellish or flat-out fabricate information, you may succeed in the search but end up in a situation that isn’t right for you. 

5. After you’ve visited all of the companies you planned to during your research, don’t just up and leave. Walk the fair and see if there are companies there you hadn’t thought about speaking with but may interest you now. You may be surprised by some of those organizations, and the connection never hurts. Don’t just visit them based on swag, either. Visit based on interest and opportunity to connect. 

6. Leave with a call-to-action. Ask the employer how best to follow up. If they have business cards, ask for one. Ask if they are comfortable if you request to connect with them on LinkedIn, featuring your 100% complete profile. Ask if there is a deadline for applications. Whatever you do, ask what next steps would be, EVEN IF YOU ARE MORE INTERESTED IN OTHER COMPANIES. 

Phase Three – After the Fair:  

1. Do a personal debrief – think about how you felt going through the career fair. What did you feel good about? What would you change? What did you learn? DO NOT BE TOO HARD ON YOURSELF. View each of these as a learning opportunity. 

2. Use LinkedIn effectively. You updated your profile, got recommendations, and asked reps about connecting on LinkedIn – now do your follow up! Don’t just send the connection request, include a note, something as simple as “thank you for spending some time speaking with me at _____ Career Fair. I am looking forward to connecting.” 

3. Send a thank you e-mail as appropriate. If you got a business card with an e-mail address on it, within 48 hours, send a brief, professional thank you note, EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THAT COMPANY AT THIS TIME. You never know when you may cross paths with that recruiter again, so a professional rapport is never a waste of time, it’s an investment in your professional brand. 

4. Apply to the jobs you are interested in. Go for it! Apply confidently and interview like a pro. 

5. Never close a door, never burn a bridge. Every interaction at the career fair is a networking opportunity. Even if you realize a company you are learning about is NOT for you, that isn’t a reason to slam the door shut. There is nothing wrong with actively listening and following up despite your desire to work elsewhere. You never know when that connection will come in handy! And hey – maybe you have a friend who IS interested in that company and you may be able to help support them with your connection. 

6. Last, please allow me to leave you with one piece of critical advice about Career Fairs – try your best NOT to let them intimidate you. It can be overwhelming – dozens or hundreds of companies and hundreds or thousands of students, but the more you try to have fun with it, to view it as a networking opportunity, understanding that companies are paying money just to have the chance to meet you, you may feel a lot better about it. Remember – career fair representatives were once job seekers themselves. We don’t bite. We respect and empathize with how that experience can be. OWN your personal brand, be authentic, and remember that you deserve to be there. 

Source 

Author: Chris Fitzpatrick. Article adapted from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/19-tips-winning-career-fair-chris-fitzpatrick/. Please Note: Missouri S&T does not endorse or have a relationship with SOURCE and articles are provided for information purposes only. Missouri S&T and SOURCE do not assume responsibility for error or omission in materials.    

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