Career Fair Preparation
The best way to feel confident at a career fair is to prepare in advance. Doing your research, updating your resume, and dressing professionally are just a few things you can do to have a great career fair experience and feel successful about your networking.
Here are some things we suggest to ensure that you are making the best first impression possible:
Before each career fair, there will be a list of the employers that are planning to attend. To decide which employers you are most interested in connecting with, you should research a little bit about who they are, what they do, and what they are looking for when it comes to their employees and interns.
Here are some effective ways to research:
- Go to the company website and look to see if they have a Mission Statement or Vision
Statement listed. This can tell you about the company's goals and what their values
are.
- Look at the company's LinkedIn page to see if they have made any big announcements
or if they have recently started/completed any big projects.
- Look and see if this company has any jobs or internships posted. This could be a
great conversation starter at a career fair, especially if any of the postings are
ones that you are interested in or eligible for.
Career fairs are perfect times to get a copy of your resume to a recruiter or company representative. Be sure that you have a fully updated resume that you can bring with you, and bring enough copies to hand out to multiple employers!
If you want some assistance updating your resume, here are some resources we have for you:
At a career fair, how you present yourself is just as important as what you say! Dressing professionally shows that you are interested an excited about meeting with employers and that you take this opportunity seriously.
As a South student, you have access to our Jaguar Clothes Closet--a space in the Student Center that has business casual and business professional clothing, perfect for career fairs! This is a free way for you to pick out the perfect outfit for this networking experience, and once you check it out of The Closet, it's yours!
Dressing professionally can feel intimidating or confusing, so here are some examples on attire that would be perfect for a career fair:
Network Like a Pro
Connecting with the employers that you talk to is a great step towards building a professional network or people who you can learn from. Making a good impression while talking with employers and company representatives can also get you one step closer to interviewing for a job or internship!
One great tool you can use to network is an Elevator Pitch. This is a a 30-second "sales pitch" where you share basic information about yourself and your career goals. Here's an example: "Hi, I'm South Paw. I'm a Junior here at South Alabama and I'm majoring in English. I'm very interested in a career in sales, and am currently open to internship opportunities. I love working with people and already have work experience related to sales and customer service. Based on my research, I think I could be a great fit for your company".
Another great networking skill you can use at career fairs is a strong handshake! Handshakes are simple gestures, but ones that show enthusiasm and professionalism. Make sure to greet each employer you talk to with a smile, strong handshake, and then introduce yourself.
Finally, be sure to get a business card from each employer that you speak with. These are great ways to collect contact information from those companies that you are most interested in. This also gives you the names of the people you spoke to so that you can connect with them on LinkedIn once you leave the Career Fair! Be sure to hold onto the business card until you walk away from your conversation, then you can put this in a folder or your wallet.