Nail your College Career Fair
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Follow these steps for a positive college career fair experience, from beginning to end.
Before
1. Define what is important to you in a future employer, so you can look for those characteristics in your conversations and ask the right questions. This can help you figure out if the company's culture pairs with your work and personality style, such as the desired dress code (professional or more casual), whether they have organized events outside of work, are involved in the community, etc.
2. Create a strong resume that highlights your skills and accomplishments. Go to the career services office at your university to get their suggestions and have several people proof it for errors and design. Have someone close to you edit for content to make sure you haven't left off important experiences.
3. Organize and optimize your resume to be compatible with online application systems. Seaboard
Foods, along with many other employers, use electronic systems to eliminate the
need for paper copies. Keep this in mind when you are working on your layout design. In addition, these programs search for key words or phrases that can be found within the job description, so tailor your wording to include them. We also recommend one
page for undergraduate students on the job hunt.
4. Practice how you are going to answer the question, “Tell me about yourself?” Starting a conversation with a recruiter with a polished and honest response will help ease nerves for subsequent questions. Consider practicing out loud, to a friend or in front of a mirror. Practice your conversational skills, so you can move from talking about yourself into your career goals.
5. Review the details of the career fair, such as time, location and parking.
6. Plan a professional outfit that makes you feel confident. Your footwear should be comfortable. If you decide to wear heels, make sure you can walk and stand comfortably in them so you can focus on having quality conversations instead of worrying about your wardrobe.
7. Research companies you want to talk to and companies you are not familiar with to learn more about their business. Incorporate what you've learned into your conversations with recruiters.
During
1. Introduce yourself and shake hands with recruiters at companies you are interested in. Consider introducing yourself to two or three companies that you have never heard of that appear to be related to your interests. Don't forget to smile, too.
2. Highlight your experiences that would be valuable to an organization or have led you to a particular interest.
3. Be honest about what you want for a career and what type of work interests you, even if you aren’t entirely sure. Be honest with yourself and the recruiter about employment details, such as a desired location. You do not need an exact plan for your career path, but you do need to have an idea of the type of job you would enjoy doing and your key strengths. This might include working with animals, working in an office or working on a collaborative team.
4. Ask questions, but make sure you provide information about your experiences and career goals first.
After
1. If you are participating in a more in depth interview, make sure you have the correct time and location written down so you can reference it later. Get the recruiters' contact information in case something comes up unexpectedly.
2. Write notes to recap the information you learned during your conversation. You could even do it on the recruiter's business card so the info is all together.
3. Follow up on deliverables. If the recruiters ask for additional information, such as a portfolio or want you to apply online, make sure you complete this in a timely manner.
4. Stay positive and confident. You might not get an offer for every job you apply for, but continue working hard on the job search without getting discouraged.
Published September 12, 2018
Sydney Kleinert is a recruiting specialist at Seaboard Foods, where she helps people find careers that match their interests and career aspirations. She strives to place candidates in positions where they can make a meaningful impact and grow in their careers.
