The Levett Career Center co-sponsors four career fairs annually. We strongly recommend that you attend a career fair prep workshop beforehand and suggest that you use the following information to best prepare for attending a fair. We require you to sign up through the Career Center by the published deadline for fairs co-sponsored by us.
What to Expect: For basic tips and photos of recent fairs, email us to request our PowerPoint prep document.
Before the fair:
1. Clarify your goals. What specific career fields are you seeking? Are you looking for permanent positions or internships? Seeking interview practice? Trying to learn more about the job market? Clarifying your own professional goals?
2. Review a list of organizations that will be attending and plan your strategy:
- Identify those you plan to talk with using the event links.
- Research interesting organizations: carefully read their website, Google them for recent news, check them out on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, EbscoHost, etc. Don't rule out an organization just because you haven't heard of them; often smaller companies are more likely to hire than are Fortune 500s.
- For each organization you plan to talk with, prepare key points that you want to share based on your research and write a list of at least 4 questions. Appropriate questions both reveal information about you and demonstrate your knowledge of the company. For example, "I have read about your new emphasis on sales and believe my summer experience in cold calling will help me to be effective with your organization. How has this policy impacted your profitability?" Avoid questions about salary and benefits at initial interviews.
3. Prepare an "elevator pitch" to introduce yourself to companies you are targeting:
4. Prepare a one page résumé without a career objective or bring a tailored résumé for each goal. Bring at least 15 copies of each to the fair. Carry your résumés in a portfolio folder, keeping them neat and organized. Follow the guidelines in our Résumé Guide for a professional document.
5. Dress appropriately: Business Professional (typical for those seeking full-time jobs):
Business Casual (typical for summer employment or internships):
In general, you don't want your appearance to distract from your message: AVOID casual or wrinkled clothing; tight, revealing, or uncomfortable clothing; visible hair product; cologne or perfume; high heels; heavy makeup; dangling earrings or heavy jewelry. How to Dress for Every Type of Interview: Purdue offers additional tips in this very helpful blog post, which points out that there is no "one right way to dress" and offers guidance on how to research what is best for the employers you are interested in. |
6. Follow-up:
Finish your conversation by restating your interest in the position, and ask how they would prefer that you move ahead with the process. Ask for a business card, and send a thank you note within 48 hours of the fair if possible. Apply online if they recommend you do so.