Entry by Pat Patterson
Fall career fairs are beginning to take place as early as next week, and recruiters look positively on candidates who show up to career fairs prepared. But what does that mean exactly? Here is some advice to help guide you:
BEFORE a career fair you should prepare by:
- Keeping up on industry/market trends,
- keeping up on current events in your areas of interest,
- pre-registering for the career fair,
- researching the participating employers and their opportunities,
– General company information: industry, market outlook, products and services, history and corporate culture, organizational mission and goals, key financial statistics, organizational structure (divisions, subsidiaries, etc.), and locations (main and branch).
– Employment: career paths and advancement opportunities, benefits, diversity initiatives, current internship and job opportunities. - identifying the employers you plan on speaking with and the positions you plan on applying for,
- preparing resume(s) (creating specific, tailored resumes for different organizations will set you apart),
- preparing your career portfolio,
- rehearsing your elevator speech,
- preparing answers to typical interview questions, and
- preparing questions for specific organizations and opportunities.
It’s not too early to begin preparing for upcoming career fairs. Although the prep work may not sound like a lot of fun, you will surely thank yourself if you secure an internship or job before winter break.
