How to Prepare for a Career Fair

Attending a career fair can be both an exciting and nerve-wracking experience. It’s a unique opportunity to showcase your skills, make valuable connections, and potentially land your dream job. However, success at a career fair doesn’t just happen by chance—it requires preparation, strategy, and confidence. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a recent graduate, understanding how to navigate these events can set you apart from the crowd and put you on the path to achieving your career goals.

Career fairs, or job fairs, can be found in places like local universities or community centers. These events are great opportunities to connect with company recruiters, grow your professional network, and foster your networking skills.

However, attending a job fair can be overwhelming—from talking to new people to wanting to find the right job for the next step in your career. Preparing for a career fair will help you feel more confident, organized, and in control on the day of the event. Follow these preparation strategies to ensure you have a successful networking experience at your upcoming career fair!

Update your Resume and LinkedIn

Your resume quickly communicates your experience and skills to company representatives and recruiters at career fairs. Updating your resume with your latest job experiences and skills will help you sell your experience further to potential employers. Check that you have no spelling errors to achieve a more professional impression. While you’re updating your resume, be sure to reflect those updates and changes on your LinkedIn profile, too!

LinkedIn is a popular professional networking platform that recruiters utilize to connect with you online. Having a professional digital presence is important to communicate who you are and why a company may want to hire you. Update your experiences and positions, skills, headshot, and LinkedIn profile headline to showcase who you are and what you do in a direct, professional way. If you’ve received any professional certifications, highlight them on your resume as well as on LinkedIn, as they help you stand out amongst other candidates. 

Research Companies Attending the Career Fair

Showing up to a career fair and knowing what companies you are interested in will help you narrow your focus and make the most of your time at the event. Research the companies you’re most interested in ahead of time to learn what they do and what positions they could be looking for. Going into the career fair with a game plan and strategy of who you want to talk to will lead to a more productive and beneficial experience. Check to see if the company you’re interested in has a good company culture and open positions that fit your skillset. Finally, rank your top five companies that will attend the career fair before you go so you can have an action plan of which interactions to prioritize based on your research!

Practice Your Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch, or elevator speech, is a 30- to 60-second introduction describing who you are and what you do. In professional networking settings, elevator pitches help you quickly and efficiently portray yourself and make the most of your connections.

In your elevator pitch, you must first include the most important things about you. This may be your name, major/degree, skills, or a specific recent experience or position. Don’t include too many details, but rather think of it as a highlight reel of who you are and what you could offer a company. Making connections with elevator speeches opens the door to more productive conversations. Overall, your elevator pitch should be a quick showcase of you being your best advocate—no one can communicate who you are as well as you can!

Ask Questions about the Company

Prepare a few engaging and intentional questions for recruiters about the company or position you are interested in. Asking the right questions can be a great way to build connections and stand apart from the crowd. Some questions to consider are:

• “What is something you like about working for this company?”
• “If I were in this position, what kind of projects would I be working on?”
• “If I were in this position, what would my day-to-day look like?”
• “What are measures of success for someone in this position?”

Ask questions that give you insight into the company and its culture, in addition to asking job-specific questions to understand what you’d be doing each day. These engaging and thoughtful questions allow you to get to know the company more and show that you did your research and care about the company or the position.

Practice Answering Interview Questions

Additionally, you should research popular interview questions to prepare for the job fair. Identify answers for each question so that you have a confident and concise response for recruiters when you’re on the spot. Practice answering questions about your strengths, weaknesses, and relevant experiences. Having thoughtful, concise answers ready can boost your confidence during impromptu interviews at the career fair. When speaking with recruiters, speak confidently and directly, and don’t forget to maintain eye contact.

Prepare Attire

First impressions matter, and how you dress plays a significant role in how you’re perceived. Choose professional attire that reflects the industry you’re interested in. For most career fairs, business casual or business professional attire is appropriate. Make sure your clothes are clean, pressed, and fit well.

Pro Tip: When in doubt, err on the side of being slightly overdressed rather than underdressed. It’s better to appear too professional than too casual.

Strategize a Follow-up Plan

Your work doesn’t end when the career fair is over—following up with recruiters is a critical step in the process. Whether through email or LinkedIn, send a personalized thank you message within 24-48 hours to each recruiter you spoke with, mentioning specific points from your conversation and reiterating your interest in their company.

Pro Tip: Include your resumé in the follow-up email, even if you handed it to the recruiter at the fair. This makes it easier for them to remember you and keep your information on file.

Successfully Prepare for your Career Fair!

Attending a career fair can be intimidating, but taking time to prepare for it will help you feel more confident. You’ll know your answers to questions they may ask, be able to present yourself confidently and professionally, and make a great impression on the recruiter. Remember, the connections you make at a career fair can be the first step toward landing your next job or internship. So, put these tips into practice, and go into your next career fair with confidence and purpose.

LCS representatives will attend several career fairs around the Cincinnati area this fall! Stop by our booth and introduce yourself—we’d love to meet you!

Stop by and say hi to an LCS representative at a career fair near you:

• September 19, 2024 – University of Cincinnati Professional and Technical Career Fair
• September 19, 2024 – Miami University Career Fair STEM Career and Internship Fair