Every year, William and Mary’s Cohen Career Center puts on a job fair. This is a great resource for students to discover potential internships and career opportunities. But wait, what if you don’t know what to do? What do you wear? What do you say? What can you do to prepare for the fair? Well, my lovely readers, I attended the fair this past Friday and have compiled a few tips for you on how you can give a personal flare to the fair!
1.) Wear something that screams YOU: Of course it’s business attire, but business doesn’t have to mean boring! As much as I hate to admit it, appearance does matter when you make a first impression. Recruiters want to see students who care about not only their company, but also how they look (because they are imagining how legit you would look in their office). I like to have a look that’s cute and classy, and something that is a bit comfy to wear too. For your business casual wardrobe, I would recommend these must-haves: black flats, a white blouse, nice brown or black slacks, and a pencil skirt. For guys, must-haves would include: khakis, nice blue or black blazer, a nice solid tie, and of course a reliable pair of black or brown shoes.
2.) Know what you want in a company: Try to figure out what kind of job experience you want so you can pinpoint which companies to target during the fair. For example, if you’re looking for medical opportunities, make sure you prepare questions and do some research on the medical field in advance. It’s good to try to gain experience in what you think you might be interested in even if you might be undeclared for your major.
3.) Bring a couple of copies of your resume: Even if you don’t have a bunch of work experience, it’s ALWAYS a good choice to bring a resume. You never know if a company’s recruiter will ask you to give a resume for future reference. It’s a great way to show them that you are serious about moving forward with them as an intern or employee!
4.) Socialize with a lot of people: Walking through a career fair is a bit like speed dating. You talk to someone for a couple of minutes and get a feel for what their company does, then move on. There are so many people at the career fair and you won’t possibly be able to talk to them all (but strive to speak with A LOT of them). The more people you talk to, the more likely you will find something that is right up your alley.
5.) Go out of your comfort zone: Although you may not consider certain job opportunities as something you would be good at, it’s always smart to talk to everyone you can! This is a great way to get your name out there. The person that you give your card or resume to may connect you to someone in a department or area of the company that is a better fit. For example, I never thought about a career in Information Technology (I’m the girl who freaks out when the computer screen freezes for 30 seconds), but I talked to a company who actually handles computer software. The recruiter discussed opportunities in management, which is what I was looking for. So, be willing to go out of your comfort zone and take the dive!
6.) If you can, go with a friend: Bringing a friend along makes the fair way more fun! Choose someone that has similar career goals and aspirations so that you will want to talk to most of the same companies.
I hope this advice helps you in some way as you journey through the craziness that is the JOB FAIR (dun dun dunnn). It’s really not as scary as you think. Be yourself and make the best of your experience. Don’t be scared, just prepare for a wonderful affair; THE JOB FAIR.