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Working the Campus Job Fair

Posted by in Articles & Interviews
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Photo: Mary Zager

It’s Job Fair Season and the CareerZing.com Advisory Board shares their experiences as they joined their stiff competition in an effort to stand out and make the best impression attending Job Fairs on their campuses.  

 

What job fair tactics have worked best for you?

Brett (FSU Grad – Sport Management):

Quite simply, make the employers at the job fair remember you. Be unique and be different without being weird. It's a fine line, yes, but that's what you have to do.

Marielle (UF 2014 – Aerospace Engineering):

Leaving my resume in my portfolio while I’m approaching the employer’s booth… I know many think it is bad to do, but the act of taking it out of my portfolio while I am doing my elevator speech calms my nerves SO much (I can’t stress this enough). It may seem silly but that is what works for me.

Kelly (UF 2014 – Chemical Engineering):

  • Handing recruiters my business card along with my resume, and asking for theirs. They seem to remember me better because I seem to stand out in their pile of resumes when they get back to their office.
  • Also, making a game plan, before you go, of which companies you want to visit and make a specific order in which you want to visit them at the fair.
  • Research the companies beforehand with a set of key facts about them and know what they're looking for so you can appeal to each individually.
  • Go to the information sessions for the company if they are offered on campus. Usually that will happen the day or night before the fair. Introduce yourself to the panel of company representative, even if you feel you are not dressed right. They understand this. You’re a student! This gives the recruiters a chance to see you multiple times.  I’ve even been “grabbed” out of the line the next day at the job fair because the rep’s recognized me from the night before.
  • Apply online first if possible so that you’re in their “system”. Sometimes the company will look at your online application before the personal interview or they won’t call you in until you are in their system. Take note of what positions you applied for online and make sure to write down your user name and password. It is easy to forget passwords if you are applying to multiple companies.
  • Know what you want to do for the company. Have an idea of how you fit in so you can tell them when asked.
  • Know what credentials or courses they want before you talk to them.  And, if you've taken those courses, tell them have what they are looking for.
  • Ask for contact information if they don't give a card so you have a name of the person you talked to and a way of reaching them.
  • Immediately after speaking with a company, step to a quiet place in the room and write down all the information and directions they tell you about next steps before moving directly to the next company. After visiting 8 companies, you won't remember all the details for each one like you thought you would. Then you can go over your notes later.
  • Make sure to email them to thank them for their time - following up also helps you stand out.
  • Let the recruiter talk first and don't interrupt. Smile but don't be creepy about it. Be genuine and ask them questions too. Let them know you're interested in actually learning about the company, career paths, and opportunities available there, not just getting an immediate gig (which is what every other student is looking for anyway).

That's a piece of what I learned from the last fair, along with recommendations from older students, and I've gotten lots of interviews and calls back!

Andrew (Georgia Tech Grad – Civil Engineer at Bechtel):

Another comment on the business card idea: It shows initiative, it’s a nice surprise for the recruiter to get one from you and it shows that you’re thinking ahead. And don’t forget to ask them for their name and contact information. If they don’t have a business card, write it down. I have had experiences where I can’t find the person’s contact information online the next day.

On Kelly’s comment about knowing what courses or credentials a company wants, here’s an example: If the company wants you to have taken a qualifying test and you didn’t take it yet, mention it on your resume as XXX test “pending”, so they know you are working on it.

After the Job Fair, the company rep’s will have a meeting to discuss the candidates. They have their laptops and stacks of resumes. They decide who to interview right there and call you in that night or the next day so you only have one chance (or two if you go to the information session) to make a good impression.

Kevin: (University of Pennsylvania 2014 – Biology/Economics)

I think Kelly hit on some great strategic points, so as to not be repetitive, I'll add some more tactical points:

  • Take interest in the person you are speaking with. Asking questions outside of the scope of      what you want to learn about the job will help to differentiate you from others. Additionally, the person you are speaking to will see you as more personable and genuine, and have skills that classes and books can't teach you.
  • Listen, listen, listen! The most embarrassing thing that can happen is to ask a question that has      already been answered, or that you could have deduced from other answers. This second point will also show higher level thinking.
  • Give a firm hand-shake and say your name with confidence, command, and clarity. Use the same level of confidence with everything you talk about, as employers are looking for strong personable qualities. It is easy to teach almost anyone how to work Excel to crank out numbers and models, but it is not easy to teach someone how to present and communicate effectively.
  • Dress nicely. This may seem trivial, but people do judge appearances. You don't want to be the one kid with chocolate stains and dryer lint all over your creased suit pants. Remember that when you are eventually hired, you will be representing the image of that particular firm.

Jesse (CalTech 2014 – Math/Computer Science):

Essentially, the Career Fairs that Caltech have are usually more than 75% companies looking for Computer Science majors, and a lot of the big ones are always there (Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Apple, etc.), and so smaller ones usually go out of their way to try to find people.  Once they pull us in, however, I usually use the same kind of things that Kevin and Kelly have mentioned.

The way it seemed to work at Caltech was that I wear a nametag saying "Computer Science", and companies would just reach out and drag me to their booth... I feel like that's probably not a general rule, though.

Kelly:

Jesse had a great point with the name tag suggestion - I'm working on getting a name tag!

About Kevin's response: Definitely good point about speaking with confidence and clarity. It is so important to show that you're calm (even if you don't feel it inside). You know how painful it is to watch someone looking OBVIOUSLY uncomfortable. Start speaking slower so that your words don't come out rushed. If you're that one student who is personable enough, feels secure, and actually makes the recruiter feel at ease, you're doing something right. That is truly refreshing to an adult who's been standing at  a Career Showcase for hours shaking dozens of students' hands.

Benton:

Good stuff. I like the name tag idea.  I would add “home town” to “name, major, and graduation date”.  It will give the recruiter a nice conversation starter..sort of an instant ice breaker.  

Carol:

I’ve heard that students will hold sessions prior to the fair to critique other students’ resumes. This is a good idea to get a very up-to-date view on key words that employers are looking for right now. Older students who have presented themselves and then experienced the success of being called back for an interview can be helpful to find out what employers are asking right now!  Check with your advisor or specific school withint the university to connect with older students.  They will likely have a session already scheduled to help students get prepared.

BTW, about the name tag, you could use your personal business card if your name is large enough on it.

Benton:

Remember to add your photo to your personal business card. It is a no-fail way for the recruiter to remember who you are and connect you with your resume.

Andrew:

I think a really important thing is to know which companies are going to be at the fair/interview, look up their official website/Wikipedia/other Google results, and pick out a few juicy points (notable projects/innovations, office locations, selling points of company) so that you can start a conversation cold/continue a meandering conversation. This really helped me in my senior year job fairs/co-op interviews.

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