Category: Career Fairs

How to Sell Yourself at a Career Fair

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It’s career fair season! And a career fair is a great place to gather information about potential employers and make contacts that can lead to your first job. Here’s some advice on how to make the most of your time at the upcoming events.

STEM Job Fair

Wed., September 14, 2016, 12:00-4:00 pm
Baylor Club, McLane Stadium
Click Here for a list of attending organizations.

HireaBear Career Fair

Wed., September 28, 2016, 12:30-4:30 pm
Waco Convention Center
Click here for a list of attending organizations

5 Things to Take to the Career Fair

  1. Information about the organizations attending. Gather information as you would for a job interview on organizations you’re interested in talking to. To maximize the brief time you have with each employer, you need to know how your skills and interests match their needs. And don’t just concentrate on the “big names.” There are often great opportunities with smaller companies or those with which you are not familiar.
  2. A 30-second “sales pitch.” Share basic information about yourself and your career interests like this: “Hello, I’m Carrie Jones. I’m a senior here at Wonderful University and I’m majoring in English. I’m very interested in a marketing career. As you can see on my resume, I just completed an internship in the Marketing Division of the ABC Company in Peoria. I’ve taken some courses in business marketing. I’m very interested in talking with you about marketing opportunities with your organization.”
  3. Copies of your resume (10 to 15, depending on the size of the event). Be sure it represents your knowledge, skills, and abilities effectively. It needs to look professional—easy to read format on plain white or cream colored 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!
  4. A smile, a strong handshake, and a positive attitude. First impressions are important. Approach an employer, smile, and offer your hand when you introduce yourself.
  5. 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!

5 Things Not to Do at the Career Fair

  1. Don’t “wing it” with employers. Do your homework! Research the companies just as you would for an interview. Focus on why you want to work for the organization and what you can do for them.
  2. Don’t cruise the booths with a group of friends. Interact with the recruiters on your own. Make your own positive impression!
  3. Don’t carry your backpack, large purse, or other paraphernalia with you. Carry your resume in a professional-looking portfolio or a small briefcase. It will keep your resume neat and handy, and gives you a place to file business cards of recruiters that you meet. Stow your coat, backpack, or other gear in a coatroom.
  4. Don’t come dressed casually. A career fair is a professional activity—perhaps your first contact with a future employer.
  5. Don’t come 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!

5 Things to Take Home From the Career Fair

  1. 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.
  2. Notes about contacts you made. Write down important 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!
  3. Information about organizations you have contacted. Most recruiters will have information for you to pick up, including company brochures, computer diskettes or CD’s, position descriptions, and other data. You won’t have time to deal with these at the fair!
  4. A better sense of your career options. If you have used the event 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.
  5. 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, what you know, and what your interests are.

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

ARE YOU DRESSED FOR SUCCESS?

It’s important to dress your best for an interview AND a career fair. But it’s hard to always know what is appropriate to wear and what is not. Here you’ll find some quick-tips to help you look your best and dress for success.

what TO wear

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  1. Women’s Business Attire
  • A dark or gray-colored pant or skirt suit
  • A solid-colored blouse
  • Flats or pumps with a mid or low heel
  • Natural makeup
  • Simple jewelry
  • Grooming: Hair combed and/or pulled back
  1. Women’s Business Casual
  • Dress pants or pencil skirt
  • A solid-colored blouse, top, button-down or cardigan
  • Flats or pumps with a mid or low heel
  • Natural makeup
  • Simple jewelry
  • Grooming: Hair combed and/or pulled back

 

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  1. Men’s Business Attire
  • A dark or gray-colored business suit
  • A solid-colored button-down shirt (light-colored or white), subtle pinstripes
  • A solid or subtle patterned tie
  • Belt and socks (black or brown)
  • Dress shoes (black or brown)
  • Grooming: hair combed, facial hair trimmed/shaved
  1. Men’s Business Casual
  • Dress slacks or khaki pants
  • A solid-colored button-down shirt (light-colored or
  • white), subtle pinstripes
  • A solid or subtle patterned tie
  • Belt and Socks (black or brown)
  • Dress shoes (black or brown)
  • Grooming: hair combed, facial hair trimmed/shaved

 

What NOT to wear

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Women

  • Sleeveless, thin-strapped or strapless dresses and tops
  • Low cut or revealing dresses or tops
  • Skirts or dresses that are too short. Hems that reach the knee or a little above the knee are the best options!
  • T-shirts, shorts, jeans or workout clothing
  • Open-toed shoes, sandals or tennis shoes
  • Heels that are too tall. 2 inches or lower is the ideal heal size.
  • More than 4 pieces of jewlery
  • Grooming: heavy perfume, unbrushed hair

 

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Men

  • Loud patterned shirts or ties
  • T-shirts, short sleeve shirts, shorts and jeans
  • Flip-flops, sandals and tennis shoes
  • Bare feet (always wear dress socks)
  • Rolled-up sleeves
  • Sunglasses
  • Hats or ball caps
  • Grooming: messy hair, untrimmed beard or stubble on your face

Things You Should Know

  • Keep it clean, first impressions are important. Consider taking out your piercings and covering up your tattoos.
  • You should cut the threads (usually is the shape of an “X”) that hold the vents (or flaps) together on new suits, blazers and skirts.
  • Avoid wearing strong perfumes or lotions. Remember some people can be overpowered by smells.
  • You should wear your name tag on your right side so the person shaking your hand will not only hear your name, but also see it.
  • Leave phones, sunglasses, lanyards, backpacks, or anything that could be distracting in your car or at a designated storage space.
  • Dressing for success doesn’t have to cost a fortune—think outside the box! Check out reasonably-priced stores such as Target and Walmart, or even local consignment shops like Goodwill and Salvation Army. And don’t hesitate to borrow from someone!

 

Brought to you by:  Ashley Alcala

Top 10 Skills Employers Want to See on Your Resume

It’s a given that a good grade point average (GPA) is very important to potential employers. According to the annual Job Outlook survey, many employers say they screen by GPA. But what else do they look for?

Employers considering new college graduates for job openings are looking for leaders who can work as part of team, communicate effectively, and solve problems.

Here are the top 10:

  1. Leadership
  2. Ability to work in a team
  3. Written communication skills
  4. Problem-solving skills
  5. Strong work ethic
  6. Analytical/quantitative skills
  7. Technical skills
  8. Verbal communication skills
  9. Initiative
  10. Computer skills

How much influence do these skills have on your chances of getting an interview and landing a job? Here’s how employers ranked those skills and abilities:

top 10 skills

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

1…2…3…Elevator Pitch

So, what is an elevator pitch? Tossing a baseball in an elevator isn’t exactly the idea, though that could be interesting! An elevator pitch refers to the basic introduction of who you are and your intended purpose. Career fairs, networking events, cover letters, and formal interviews are great places to integrate this exercise. The reason is due to the fact that time is a limiting factor. Recruiters or employers only have so much of their attention to dedicate to you during these hectic events, so condensing information in an effective way helps immensely! Elevator pitches provide background information and shows your enthusiasm in a way that allows the other person to want to continue the professional conversation. It is important to practice your elevator pitch as well. Being confident and showing you’ve done some research on the company will truly make you a competitive applicant. These personal summaries should be about 30 seconds! Let’s break it down:

elevatorWritten by:  Megan Nguyen

Career Fair Strategies That Work

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Career Fair Strategies That Work

by Kathy Douglas

If you are in a Google group, are a member of a family, or have met someone at your college or university orientation who is still your friend, you already know how to network. We meet, form bonds, text, and call our friends to share good news. As a species, we are natural networkers—our survival depends on it.

Schmoozing at career fairs and events is what most people think of when defining networking—standing out in a crowd, making a lasting impression that will land you a job or internship. The reality for most mortals is, however, that although it is important to practice small talk and have good interpersonal skills, most of us do not exude extraordinarily magnetic personalities.

Working magic in a crowd, in fact, is not the most important part of networking.

Great networkers know what any career fair recruiter will tell you: At the end of the day, recruiters’ feet hurt, their voices are raw, and aside from a few exceptional interactions, they have spoken with so many individuals they don’t remember who they spoke with about what.

This is why the real art of job-search networking comes in after the actual fair—the follow up.

When advising students on strategies for two major annual career fairs (one for 1,300+ students from eight universities; one for 250 students from two universities), I emphasize four things:

  1. Strategically select top employers to visit: Quick Internet research provides information to help determine which employers align best with your career goals. Arrive early and visit your top choices while you (and the recruiters) are fresh.
  2. Ask good questions: Advanced research will help you prepare smart questions. After a quick introduction, ask a question about recruiting level or specific practice areas to be sure you are not wasting your time or theirs—Are you hiring at the master’s level? Are you interviewing for your renewables practice? If you already know what they are recruiting for, start there—“I’d like to learn more about the project areas for the policy internships.”
  3. After discussions, find a place to stop and take notes: Notes don’t have to be extensive. I use business cards and/or a small notebook to write the reason I want to follow up, contact information, and content of conversation.
  4. Follow up within a few days: Decide which leads are of interest and follow up with an e-mail that picks up where the discussion left off. If you have been directed to an online application, complete it, send the recruiter a thank you and let him or her know you applied. If you connected personally with a recruiter, but there is no immediate opportunity for you, send him or her a thank you note and a LinkedIn request. There is no need to follow up on every single contact. It’s OK to be strategic.

If you have taken good notes after a productive conversation, it is easy to follow up. And most often you are doing the recruiter a favor. The work you put in to making the recruiter’s job easier, whether it results in an immediate outcome for you or not, is a positive and generous act.

And you never know where follow-up will lead. Through courteous follow-up and strategic networking, job seekers get interviews, discover the hidden job market, and learn the inside scoop on organizations.

Kathy Douglas is the associate director in the Career Development Office, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. She works with a global population of dynamic graduate students interested in high-impact, solution-based environmental careers, advanced research, and thought leadership.

Courtesy of the National Association of Colleges and Employers