Every spring, the Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State puts together a career fair called Success in the City. It is not always easy to get recruiters and companies to travel to the middle of rural Pennsylvania to attend career fairs hosted at the college, so the communications college decided to bring the students to the companies in the Big Apple.
Attending career fairs can be scary and confusing, especially one that is so far away from the comforts of State College. So, here is your guide to prepare for attending Success in the City 2024.
- Buy Resume Paper
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The main goal of attending this career fair is to network with companies and hand recruiters your resume. However, you shouldn’t just print your resume on regular printer paper.
Resume paper is thicker, heavier and overall more durable than regular paper. Resume paper also has higher ink quality, which reduces ink bleed and smudging during the printing process.
Last year when I attended the career fair, I bought Southworth resume paper last year on Amazon, but you can also purchase some at places like Walmart, Target and Staples.
Make sure to print out more resumes than you expect to give out because you never know who you will end up speaking to.
- Get A Business Professional Outfit
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You have to dress for success when attending a career fair, and that is where a business professional outfit comes into play.
If you already have an outfit, you are one step ahead. If you do not have one, knowing where to shop for an affordable price can be helpful if you are on a budget.
When looking for business professional attire, my top three stores are Old Navy, H&M and Amazon. Do not forget to grab professional shoes to complete your outfit.
- Buy A Leather Padfolio
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A padfolio is a portable binder or folder that typically holds a notepad and has a compartment to hold papers. Bringing a padfolio to the career fair not only gives you a professional look but it is the perfect place to hold your resumes, any business cards you acquire and take down notes.
While I do not think having a padfolio is a requirement, I do think that it will elevate your experience and keep you organized while talking to recruiters.
You can purchase one at Walmart, Target or Amazon.
- Create A Company Spreadsheet
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Thankfully, the career department provides a list of companies attending the career fair before the day of the event, so you can get started on your research ahead of time.
I suggest picking your top five companies you want to speak to and adding them to a spreadsheet. You should eventually put more than five companies on your sheet if you have the time to dedicate to researching them, but ensure that you have your top five companies prepared before the career fair.
In this spreadsheet, list the company name, the recruiters’ names (if they are provided), a short description of the company, some key talking points about the company and any questions you want to ask about the company.
While you are waiting in line to talk to a recruiter, you can reference this spreadsheet on your phone or as a print out to help prepare for the company you are going to talk to.
Preparing for a career fair can be intimidating, especially if you have never attended one before. By following these tips, you can maximize your experience and achieve greater success at Penn State’s Success in the City.