Be Prepared to Network

Obviously you’ll want to dress professionally, but spending some time planning ahead for the specific challenges of a job fair can help you be more comfortable and successful.

Avoid bogging yourself down with personal items; carry only what you need, and organize it so that you’re able to shake hands with recruiters without having to fumble around with your belongings. This can help you avoid fidgeting and keep your body language open and approachable.

You’ll also want to wear comfortable shoes that you can stand and walk in for the duration of the job fair.

Research the Company

Job fairs are great because you get to talk to an actual person right away – not go into a stack of resumes to be skimmed. However, you’ll need to do some preparation ahead of time to be successful.

Take a moment to put yourself in the recruiter’s shoes. While you’re job-hunting to satisfy your financial and career goals, the recruiter is looking for people who can benefit their company. They’re going to talk to a lot of people.

Between a candidate that seems to be looking around aimlessly for literally any job and a candidate that is knowledgeable about the company’s business and industry, the well-researched candidate is naturally going to seem like a better fit.

Take some time before the career fair to look up the companies attending, select the ones you’re most interested in, and research them. You might look at current events in their industry, their company values, past projects they’ve done, or the products they offer. If you think of a question during your research, keep it in mind to ask during your conversations with the recruiter. 

Be Interview Ready

Your resume is only one part of the equation; the opportunity for an instant interview is both the biggest benefit and challenge when it comes to job fairs.

Handing the recruiter your resume at the beginning of the conversation rather than the end will give them the opportunity to use your experience and skills to lead the conversation if they choose. However, it’s likely they’ll ask you some form of “Tell me about yourself.” Don’t be caught by surprise by this!

Walk in ready to explain who you are and why you’re interested in the company; if the recruiter asks what you’re looking for, you’ll have more luck if you can offer more specifics than just saying “a job.”

You may also want to prepare a few questions for the recruiter, but stay away from overly basic information that can easily be found online. (For example, “What does [Company X] do?”) Instead, ask about the recruiter’s experiences with the company or the culture.

Follow Up

Once you leave the job fair, don’t forget to follow up. Recruiters and hiring managers are busy people and might end up dealing with other things, even though they have your resume. Don’t be nervous about contacting them; a single, concise follow up won’t annoy them.

Snag the recruiter’s business card and shoot them an email within a day or so and thank them for speaking with you. This is also an opportunity to express your interest in another interview or ask questions if you ran out of time or thought of something later. Mentioning specific things you like about the company or topics that you discussed can help you be a memorable candidate.

You may also want to add recruiters on LinkedIn. Even if you aren’t interested or don’t get an offer from their company, recruiters have connections with other people in their industry.

If there’s an online application, don’t forget to fill that out in addition to submitting your resume. Depending on the company, this may be necessary to move forward.