How to Prepare for the Career Fair

With the upcoming UMaine Career Fair approaching, we are all frantically critiquing our resumes, figuring out which attending employers are of interest to us, and not to mention sweating the thought of speaking to employers in person. Don’t sweat it too much Black Bears, the Career Center is here to help you conquer the Career Fair like a pro.

Here are some tips, compliments of the UMaine Career Center that will help set you up for success!

5 Things to Take to a Career Fair

• Copies of your resume. Be sure that it represents your knowledge, skills and abilities effectively. It needs to look professional – easy to read format on plain white or ivory colored resume paper – and be free of typos. If you are looking at several career options, you may want to have two or more targeted resumes with different career objectives.
• A smile, a strong handshake, and a positive attitude. It may seem obvious, but first impressions are everything. Approach an employer, smile, and offer your hand when you introduce yourself.
• A 30 – second “sales pitch”. Hand the recruiter a copy of your resume and be prepared to expand on it quickly! Share basic information about yourself and your career interests like this: “Hello, I’m Carrie Jones. I’m a senior here at UMaine and I’m majoring in Business. I’m very interested in a marketing career. As you see on my resume, I just completed an internship in the Marketing Division of the ABC Company in Portland. I’m very interested in talking with you about marketing opportunities with your organization.”
• Information about the organizations that will be attending. Gather information as you would for a job interview. To maximize the brief time you have with each employer, you need to know how your skills and interests match their needs.
• Energy! Career Fairs require you to be on your feet moving from table to table for an hour or so. Each time you meet someone, be at your best and as refreshed as possible!

5 Things to Take Away From a Career Fair

• Business cards from the recruiters you have met. Use the cards to write follow-up notes to those organizations in which you are most interested.
• Notes about contacts you made. Take paper and a pen with you to write down details about particular organizations, including names of people who may not have had business cards. Take a few minutes after you leave each table to jot down these notes!
• Information about organizations you have contacted. Most recruiters will have information for you to pick up, including company brochures, computer diskettes or CDS’s, position descriptions, and other data. You won’t have time to deal with these at the fair!
• A better sense of your career options. If you have use the even correctly, you will have made contact with several organizations that hire people with your skills and interests. In thinking about their needs and your background, evaluate whether each company might be a match for you.
• Self – confidence in interacting with employer representatives. A career fair gives you the opportunity to practice your interview skills in a less formidable environment than a formal interview. Use this experience to practice talking about what you have done, and what your interests are.

5 Things Not to Do at a Career Fair

• Don’t cruise the booths with a bunch of friends. Interact with the recruiters on your own. Make your own positive impression!
• Don’t carry a backpack, large purse, or other paraphernalia with you. Carry your resume in a professional – looking portfolio or small briefcase. It will keep your resume need and handy, and gives you a place to file business cards of employers that you meet.
• Don’t come dressed for the gym.A career fair is a professional activity – perhaps your first contact with a future employer.
• Don’t “wing it” with employers.Do your homework! You’ll be able to figure out why you want to work for the organization and what you can do for them.
• Don’tcome during the last half hour of the event.  Many employers come a long distance to attend the fair and may need to leave early. If you come late, you may miss the organizations you wanted to contact!

Dress to Impress!
Ladies, this is not the place to try out those 6 – inch stiletto heels you just bought! You are going to be walking around for a long period of time and the last thing you want to worry about is your feet killing you…or having an accidental fall. A neutral color skirt or nice dress pants (black, navy or gray are your best choices), a blouse, blazer and a great pair of flats will show that you are professional and take the event seriously.
 
These helpful hints will help your experience at the Career Fair be a calm and successful one and maybe even help you land a future job!
 

The Career Fair is being held Wednesday, February 1, 2012, at the New Balance Student Recreation Center from 10 am – 3 pm. For details, check the Career Center website at http://www.umaine.edu/career or call 581-1359. 

photo credit: google images