Say it with me, I will leave a great impression on the employers I meet at the career fair. You’re walking to class and notice some chalk on the sidewalk. In big, bold letters, you read, “Career Fair Friday From 8:00-1:00 In The Business School.” Should I go? Is it really worth my time? I don’t have much time to prepare. Stop stressing and start reading these 5 tips to stand out at the career fair you will most definitely be attending! This article goes beyond the basic advice to edit your resume and create an elevator pitch to prep for the job fair. Like this Handshake post suggests, face to face interactions are priceless compared to a piece of paper of your accomplishments. As you continue reading, you will learn how to catch a recruiter’s attention and hopefully secure a job interview!
1. Pop Out With Professional Attire
Let’s be honest, everyone knows to dress professionally at a job fair. A nice shirt, some slacks, and freshly styled hair goes a long way. I won’t discredit those fits, but the goal is not to look nice, you want to stand out! To do this, I suggest venturing toward power colors: red, yellow, green and purple are sure to make a statement.
Keep with the professional vibe but grab that bright sweater out your closet instead of playing it safe! If experimenting with color seems like a hard no for you, consider varying the texture of your clothing. An example of this would be wearing satin rather than cotton or trying a patterned skirt. Stay within your comfort zone but remember recruiters meet hundreds of students at career fairs. Do you want to be girl #217 wearing a black suit, white blouse, and black heels? Or do you want to be remembered as the student in the tan blazer paired with a gold turtleneck who had a rockin resume! Below are some outfit ideas that are 100% professional with a twist.
2. Digitize Your Job Fair Resume
Now that you look the part let’s get into your credentials. It’s unlikely that a resume stating your education, experience, and skills will ever go out of style. What I want you to consider is how to make your resume POP. At a job fair, recruiters are shuffling hundreds of resumes that will end up in a folder for future review. Your resume WILL NOT be one of those.
Instead, consider using a free QR code generator to digitize your resume. This way recruiters won’t have to keep track of the paper, and you’ll appear as an innovative, tech-savvy student! It’s a win win! Your QR code can be taken one step further by taking users to your personal website. Here you can feature your LinkedIn profile, Handshake page, and personal projects along with your resume. Ultimately, this creative thinker is exactly the type of job candidate that gets asked to interview for positions.
3. Chat It Up With Recruiters
You’re dressed to impress, you’ve shown off your tech skills now let’s learn how to converse. Maybe your campus career counselor has preached on and on about elevator pitches. I’m not saying these are irrelevant. All I’m saying is that the student who excels at career fairs needs to have more than a 30 second pitch. This student also has conversation skills. The ability to connect with a recruiter is an underrated talent. Rather than approaching the booth and ranting about oneself, try asking questions to reveal your genuine interest in the job/company.
Here Are Questions To Ask At Job Fairs:
- What are the characteristics of quality employees at your company?
- What is the hiring process for entry level positions/internships?
- How would you describe your experience at [name of company]?
- Can you describe the company’s culture?
Admittedly, it’s hard to have a full blown conversation at career fairs. Coming up with quality questions the night before will help you hit the ground running upon arrival. You may only have a few seconds to stand out so showing genuine interest is one way to remain remembered.
4. Make Your Rounds Count
Want to really stand out at the career fair? Here’s what to do, research which companies will be there, then create a schedule for who you want to meet and when. The popular companies in attendance will absolutely have a line of students at their booth. This is when you capitalize on the lesser known companies. Regardless of industry or location your goal is to secure a job so get in front of as many recruiters as possible! The students that stand out at job fairs don’t limit themselves to only speaking with fortune 500 companies. You need to branch out and explore all the opportunities presented to you. After all, every company has a department likely associated with your major/interests.
5. Exude Positivity At Your Career Fair
Lastly, it is super important to keep a positive attitude at the job fair! Yes, you’re nervous. Of course you’re tired of talking to people. I know that guy from your seminar totally cut you in line. I get it. Regardless of all this, approaching a recruiter with a warm smile and welcoming demeanor is a huge difference maker. Keep in mind that the recruiters had to drive to campus, set up, and talk to hundreds of people. I guarantee they are TIRED. Therefore, the energy you give off matters. It is the difference between a recruiter reminiscing on the fun conversation you shared or reviewing a resume with no recollection of which student it belongs to.
Job fairs can be overwhelming. You want to stand out and now you know how!
- Step one, add a pop of color to your fit.
- Step two, create a QR code for your resume.
- Step three, ditch the elevator pitch.
- Step four, hit up all the booths.
- Lastly, step five, keep your energy up!
After you completely kill it at your career fair, you’ll need to consider housing options. Check out this article to help you decide your next move.
