Attending the job fair on Wednesday September 27 between 11 and 4 in the IMU main lounge and second floor ballroom? Here are a few tips we have for you from Her Campus Iowa!
Before
Research who will be attending
The career center site has a list of the employers who will be at the job fair. You can even search a certain focus if you’re looking for particular companies.
Get your resume edited
Either upload your resume to Hire-a-Hawk to have it revised and sent back to you, or go into peer advisor office hours Monday–Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Pick out your outfit the night before
Make sure you are presenting yourself as professional and put together (even if you feel nothing of the sort). Planning the night before puts you one step ahead!
Practice your elevator pitch
Don’t know what an elevator pitch is? Check out the career center’s definition and tips.
During
Have a strategy
This will come from your beforehand prep. Know which tables you’ll want to stop by and how to make your elevator pitch particular to those you’ll be stopping at.
Be confident and polite
Confidence is absolutely key because the career fair is all about selling yourself. But don’t forget your general manners; give a good handshake, make eye contact, and thank those you speak with for their time.
Don’t be shy
Much like the previous tip, you need to make sure you’re able to sell yourself. If you don’t put yourself out there, your time will be a wash.
Remember their name/ask for a business card
It’s important to remember the names of significant contacts because it will be hard to reach out to them in the future if you don’t! If you’re a forgetful person, asking for a business card is a great way to remember.
Take advantages of free services
The career fair offers free LinkedIn headshots, which could be advantageous to your finding a job through the site!
After
Send follow up emails to recruiters you talked to
It’s important to make sure you don’t get lost in the shuffle of faces the recruiters saw all day. Send a follow-up email to remind them of who you are and that you are interested in keeping contact.
Connect on LinkedIn
Another great way to build your network and put your name out there is through LinkedIn. It’s another way for a recruiter to remember you and the kind of things you’ve accomplished.
Reflect on your experience
Did you do all you could to get yourself out there? Have you followed up to make sure they don’t forget you? Did you get any feedback on your resume or presentation that would prompt tweaking?
Prepare for possible interviews
If you had a successful run at the career fair, it’s possible you’ve gotten a few opportunities to talk further to a recruiter. It’s never a bad idea to run through practice questions with a friend to be prepared!