Some advanced preparation can help to differentiate you from the other candidates and make a positive impression on prospective employers.
Define your goals
What do you want to get out of the career fair?
Do you want to get past your fear of starting a conversation with employers?
Do you want to find out about opportunities with a specific organization, and how and when to apply?
Define what your objectives are and develop a plan to achieve these goals.
Do your research
Find out which companies will be attending the fair and prioritize and research the organizations you want to target to determine if they are of interest to you.
A good place to start conducting your research is on the company’s website.
Look to see if the organization has any current openings on their website. You may find openings in the ‘employment’, ‘careers’ or ‘human resources’ section of their website.
Determine what the qualifications are for these openings and see if your skills match.
Learn about the nature of their work, history, work culture, projects etc.
Prepare questions
Write out a list of well-informed questions that illustrate your enthusiasm for and knowledge of the organization you are interested in.
Do not ask questions that can be easily found with online research.
Plan out what you want to say to the employer and then approach their table and introduce yourself.
Resumes
Review and update your resume in order to convey that you are a great fit for the position you are hoping to get. By researching a company ahead of time, you can revamp your resume to reflect the needs of that organization.
Bring extra copies of your resume (more copies than the number of employers you plan to speak with).
Bring different versions of your resume if you have more than one job target.
Supporting documents
Consider bringing supporting documents, such as a professional portfolio, reference letters and copies of your transcript.
Your professional portfolio should include examples of your work and accomplishments.
Self-Introduction
Practice your handshake and prepare a short (less than one minute) introduction that summarizes key points about you as a potential employee.
Ensure that your self-introduction sounds natural and rehearse it until you feel comfortable pitching it to an employer.
Some points to talk about may include: Who you are, what you can do or what you have done, what your relevant skills and qualifications are, your educational background and what your goals are for the job fair.
Appearance/presentation
What you wear and your personal grooming and hygiene say a lot about how seriously you take your job search. Dress for a job fair as you would for a job interview.
Ensure your attire is professional, pressed, neat and clean.
Business formal: suits for men, pants or skirt suits for women. Dress shoes or low heels.
Ensure you shower, groom hair, wear deodorant and refrain from wearing strong cologne or perfume.
