What advice do you have for me as I prepare to attend a career fair at my
university?
This month I'm posing the question because of an e-mail I received from one of my own
students after she attended an annual career fair.
I have to say it makes me feel appreciated when former students start giving me
information to pass along to students in my professional development seminar. I find
students' observations and advice refreshing, thoughtful and much more personal than
reading career fair tips that Gen Xers or baby boomers write on some Web site for you –
the millennials.
Here is an edited version of the e-mail that I received with advice I thought you might
like to know. [Comments in the brackets are mine.]
• The hardest question for me to give an articulate answer for was, "Why?" Why do you
want to get into ...? [Work on developing a 30-second to one-minute speech that you can
deliver confidently.]
• Another interview question that I flubbed was, "What are your interests other than ...?" I
think I mistook the question for "What do you do for fun?" I should have talked about my
minor (anthropology) or how I'm learning Spanish.
• I brought my laptop to show my [work]. If you are in [a career-fair] setting, BRING
EARPHONES. My volume wasn't loud enough at times.
• Wear a watch. I (and many others) kept checking our phones for the time. Even if you
aren't in an interview [or waiting to talk with a recruiter], I think it makes you look
unprofessional, like you are texting or bored.
• In a career fair environment, don't get discouraged if they don't offer you a job right
then and there. The important part is making contacts and to follow up. I have a whole
list of [companies] to e-mail.
• MOST IMPORTANT: Help carry the conversation. It's super awkward to just sit [or
stand] there in silence while someone just looks at your resume. Don't just wait for them
to ask you questions. Have lots of questions prepared. Sell yourself from the beginning.
Tell them what you want to do right away. On the flip side of that, don't take over the
entire interview by talking too much.
Overall, I was so impressed by this student's advice, I asked other students I work with to
tell me what advice they have for other students who might attend career fairs in the
future. Here are some more words of wisdom from your peers.
• I would advise students to be open to opportunities presented at the fairs. You might go
into the fair thinking you know exactly what kind of people you want to meet or what
booths you want to visit. There could, however, be an even better chance at a better job or
internship at booths or with people you didn't even consider. [Explore all the
possibilities.]
• I was asked at a recent career fair if I was a better researcher or writer. I wasn't prepared
to answer the question intelligently. [If there are a set of skills that are needed in your
career choice, be able to talk about which skill you're best at and why. Be able to talk
about which skill or skills you need to work on.]
• Sell yourself. Recruiters love confidence [but not arrogance]. ...If you are excited about
what you've done and what you're working on, they [the recruiters] will be too.
• Research the companies that will attend the career fair. [You might find that you really
don't want to work for some of the companies you thought you wanted to work for, e.g.,
not resolving customer complaints, experiencing growing employee discontent, battling
legal issues, not taking care of the environment and more.]
• If you say you're going to follow up, then follow-up. [Collect business cards.] Also, find
out when the company will be in the final stages of choosing a candidate so you know
when is a good time for another phone call or e-mail.
• Bring a lot of copies of your résumé. Even if you don't sign up for an interview [or visit]
with a particular company's representative, you can always give them your résumé.
[Network!]
• Bring breath mints.
• Make eye contact, [shake hands] and dress nicely, but those are givens. [Maybe.]
As I wrap up this month, I want to stress that you should dress professionally for a career
fair. Men need to wear a nicely pressed conservative suit and shirt with a tie. Women
need to wear a conservative skirt suit with the skirt hitting the top of their knees or
extending no more than two inches below their knees. Women may also wear a
conservative pant suit, but a skirt suit is better. And whether a woman is wearing a skirt
suit or pant suit, blouses or knit tops should reveal no cleavage.
Next, women need to pay attention to the type of shoes they are wearing. A couple of my
students at a recent career fair showed up in six-inch heels. No! You're shoes should have
heels that are between flat and absolutely no higher than three inches – less is better.
By the way, several people noticed my students with six-inch heels. A career center
manager from another university at one point said to me, "Look at her." I responded,
"Yes, I know. She belongs to me."
I wasn't embarrassed by the two women from my program, but I was disappointed in
them. When people are looking at your shoes or how you might not be dressed
appropriately at a career fair, don't count on them to remember you for internships or
jobs. The attention you've drawn to yourself makes you the example of what not to do at
a career fair and the topic of conversation among the professionals at the career fair. Yes,
recruiters will make negative comments about students who call attention to themselves
through their inappropriate dress, as well as shake their heads in disbelief.
You want to have strong communication skills at career fairs, and your clothes are part of
your communication – visual communication. Remember that communication studies
show that what we see can have a greater influence on us than what we hear. I want you
to be heard. I want you to be memorable for the right reasons when you attend career
fairs.
Happy hunting for internships and jobs.