Career Fairs offer the opportunity for you to informally meet with a variety of employers all in one location, in one day. Some of the time the company representatives at Career Fairs will not be able to talk to you about specific jobs, but they will be able to talk with you about the company, the kinds of jobs generally available, requirements, career paths, etc. Sometimes they will accept resumes to take back with them for hiring managers. (You will sometimes see “Job Fairs” advertised in the media, and these are usually opportunities to connect with employers and set up interviews for currently available jobs. Although many people use the terms interchangeably, there is this important difference. If you are aware of which type of event you are attending, you will be better able to anticipate and prepare.)
The list of employers attending career fairs will be published on the home
page of our website.
Attending a career fair is just one of many steps in the career exploration and job search process. Employers participate in these events to meet students and recruit employees. As a student or alumnus, you can attend a career fair to look for a job, gather career information, and/or develop your network of career contacts.
Career fairs are less formal and structured than a scheduled job or internship interview, but since you will be speaking to representatives of companies and organizations with possible openings, these discussions can sometimes turn into "preliminary" interviews. The representatives you speak to may themselves be hiring managers or have the influence to refer you to the appropriate hiring authority for the next step. Below are some tips to make the most of your career fair experience.
- Spend some time reflecting on yourself - identify your strengths (skills), career interests, achievements, and relevant background information - to help you target employers of interest.
- Look at the list of employers coming to the fair on our web page to narrow the list to those most relevant to your interests.
- Research these employers - contact them directly for information, view their website, use our library resources and personal contacts you may know working for the company.
- Work up a short verbal presentation which you can smoothly articulate to employers, summarizing the relevancy of your interests, skills, and background. Think through the following questions to help with the process:
- What are your goals, both academic and career-related?
- What are your relevant skills?
- What kind of position are you hoping for?
- You want to dress neatly, professionally, and be well groomed (a suit may not be necessary depending on the types of organizations that you are interested in).
- Avoid t-shirts, jeans, sportswear, hats, and iPods. Turn off your cell phones before entering the fair.
- Plan to spend as much time at the fair as you can. You will be given floor plans identifying where the employers are located.
- Initially, you may want to walk around the fair to get comfortable and develop a sense of the layout. Then head to your favorite employers and follow through with other employers of interest. Use the rest of the day to contact and gather information about employers who are less familiar but of interest.
- Remember to broaden your focus and include many types of employers. For instance, you may not have considered working for a hospital, but hospitals recruit and hire professionals in many different fields (e.g., management information systems, or health care).
- When meeting employers, introduce yourself in a confident manner, with a smile, firm handshake, and good eye contact. This is the time to draw on the verbal summary you prepared.
- Ask questions reflecting the research you have done on the employers and your interest in a possible position with them. Ask about the employer's goals, application process, and qualifications the employer is seeking, etc.
- Bring copies of your resume to leave with employers that you are interested in. Contact our office if you need resume help before the fair. If you have references, bring copies of that list as well.
- Have a pen, pencil, note pad, and other relevant materials so you can take down information.
- Be aware of time demands on employers. Do not monopolize an employer's time. Ask specific questions and offer to follow up after the fair, as appropriate.
- As you leave each employer, learn what happens next, and what, if anything, you should do to advance your candidacy. Ask for a business card so you can maintain future contact and send follow-up thank-you notes to those employers in whom you are most interested.
- Finally, relax and enjoy the experience and hopefully it will lead to some real opportunities and provide you with helpful career-related information.
JobWeb.com, a
website of career development and job-search information for college
students and recent graduates, is owned by the non-profit National
Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) of which BU is a
member. To read an article on how to get the most out of a career
fair, click
here!
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