What can you look forward to in February, other than Valentine’s Day? Career Fairs, of course! Career Services has two upcoming fairs: the first is the Summer Internship Fair, on Friday, February 18, 2011 from 1 – 4pm in the Frist Multipurpose Room and the second is the Nonprofit Career Fair, the following Friday on February 25, 2011 from 1-4pm, also taking place in the Frist Multipurpose Room.
Since some students may have never attended a career fair, I thought I would share a few tidbits of advice. I want to emphasize the importance of adequate PREPARATION. It is essential that students think about what they want to get out of each fair before they attend. This will help maximize the overall success rate for each individual student. Some of this information can also be found in Career Services Career Planning Guide. You can view the guide online here (specifically page 33- 34) or pick up a copy at the Career Services office.
Create a list of employers that you definitely want to talk during each fair. Knowing who you want to talk to beforehand will help you maximize the time that you spend at the fair. You can log onto TigerTracks now to view the list of organizations who will be in attendance. But, don’t just choose organizations whose names are familiar to you. If you are unfamiliar with an employer, now is the time to do some research. Who knows? You may be surprised how many more organizations you are interested in after you find out more about them! Knowing who you want to talk to beforehand will help you maximize the time that you spend at the fair.
Develop an introduction. Sometimes students don’t always know what to say when approaching an employer at a career fair. It might be useful to prepare a short introduction. You want the employer to know your name and class year and perhaps why you are interested in his/her organization. For example, let’s say I was meeting with an employer from Madison Square Garden’s internship program. My introduction might be “Good afternoon. My name is Rana Campbell and I am a current sophomore. I have had a few internships in the media industry and am looking for an internship in the area of event marketing or social media this summer. I know that MSG has communications and marketing internships with the Knicks, Rangers, and Radio City, are there other areas I can apply?”
Think of specific questions to ask. This is probably one of the most important parts of career fair preparation. Make sure you ask employers specific questions about the type of internship/ job opportunity you want. You might want to ask about the best way to apply or what you can do as an applicant to stand out from other applicants. Be creative! Think, “What do I really want to know?”. Now is the time to ask!
Review/refresh your resume. Having an up-to-date resume is key when attending any type of professional fair. Although not all employers will accept resumes, for those that do, it will be imperative that your resume is professional, proofread, and an accurate representation of your academic, personal, and career accomplishments. Don’t have a resume or haven’t updated yours in a while? Don’t worry Career Services can help you! Stop by during daily walk-in hours from 3-5 for a critique of your resume. Also, check out our Career Planning Guide for samples and tips.
Plan your attire. Most employers at the fair will be in business or business casual attire. Therefore, you will want to be dressed and groomed neatly. While it is not necessary that you wear your best business suit, you definitely don’t want to wear pajamas and slippers! Slacks and nice shirt is a great option for guys, while a skirt/dress pants with a suitable top will suffice for females.
Even if you are not sure what your career interests are, I highly recommend that you still attend these fairs so that you can gain experience networking and speaking with employers. Who knows, you might even learn something new about your interests and possible future career/internship options while at the fair!