It is important for you, the seeker, to learn the differences between career days and job fairs, how to prepare by developing a checklist of things to do before, during and after the event, and how to maximize your time while attending the event.
First, to distinguish between the two: Career days are informal functions whereby employers come prep a red to present their organizations and the employment/career opportunities they offer, while students come to browse and gather printed information provided by the employers.
Interaction between employer representatives and students is usually brief, and may be conducted among small groups of students who happen to be in close proximity to the employer at any given time.
Job fairs are more formal events whereby individual students will approach employers for a brief one-onone initial screening interview. The candidate is usually seated, and is prepared to answer a series of questions to help the employer determine the candidate's qualifications.
Attending a career day or a job fair will make more sense to you if you can clearly state why you are going to begin with. Two of the best reasons are 1) to learn more about employers who will hire you when you graduate, and 2) to make contact with employers to arrange for on-the-spot or future interviews for internship, co-op or career employment.
On the other hand, the worst reason to go is because attendance is mandatory for one of your classes. If you are required to attend as a class assignment, turn the assignment into one of the reasons listed above. After all, for most college students, the primary objective for attending college in the first place is to find meaningful, lucrative employment after graduation.
BEFORE
• Find out who's coming and make a list of employers you already know you want to talk to
• Make another list of employers that you've never heard of but who hire people to do what you want to do
• Visit the websites of all the employers on both lists. Look for listings of internships or jobs and make notes of questions that you want to get answered. Your questions will be determined by your goal for attending (career exploration vs. job search ) .
• Have a plan, even if your plan is to only explore. Your approach will be different depending on your objective. If you've researched the organizations in advance, you will feel more comfortable in approaching the representatives because you are already somewhat familiar with them. Develop one or more versions of your resume highlighting the skills and abilities you want to market to employers. By using the concept of "transferrable skills" you may be able to market yourself differently by placing your experience in headings like "Relevant Experience" and "Other Experience" where relevance refers to the career objective.
• You will want to learn of the qualities they look for in college students/ graduates, what specific courses you should be taking to prepare you for a career with their organization, what's involved in the application process, and if there are deadlines for the applications. This is particularly important if you are applying for internship positions. You may have different questions for specific employers.
• Develop and practice your "one minute commercial" or "elevator speech." This is a very short presentation that you use to introduce yourself to an employer and pique their interest in what you have to offer their organization.
• Acquire proper business attire. You will want to make a first impression that is positive.
Women: Wear a professional knee-length skirt suit in a conservative color, sheer hose, closed-toe and closed-heel pumps in a dark leather (low heel is fine), minimal jewelry, no perfume, natural looking makeup, conservative and neat hairstyle. Pantsuits with polished dark leather flats are acceptable although most employers still consider the traditional knee-length skirt suit most professional. Bring a purse or a briefcase (no backpacks). If you choose a purse, do bring a folder or portfolio in which to keep your resumes, etc.
Men: Wear professional suit in a conservative dark color, dark shoes and dark socks, an ironed white or pastel long-sleeve button-down shirt, a conservative tie, no cologne, no necklaces/ bracelets or earrings; conservative hairstyle, no backpacks. You should also have a portfolio and a pen to take notes and carry your resumes. You will want to bring an ample supply of resumes.
DURING
Take a few minutes to review the program booklet or directory to confirm that the employers you want to see are actually present. Prioritize your list to insure that you get to speak to your first choices.
Approach a representative and use your one-minute commercial to introduce yourself. The goal is to connect your background to the organization's need. Make sure that you have a firm but not bone-crushing handshake, and make direct eye contact. Tell the employer your full name, your classification and your career plan. Although most employers are accustomed to asking college students about their major, they will be impressed to learn that you have a career plan and that you view your major as only one component of pursuing your career goals. Remember your focus should be on gathering job and career information and not on seeing how many souvenirs and other giveaways you can grab from employer displays.
Ask about specific opportunities for internships or summer employment, especially if you've already learned about them from their website. Pay particular attention to application procedures and deadlines, and the types of opportunities you might expect.
Hand out your resume if you can. More and more employers are requiring candidates to apply online and cut and paste or attach their resumes. So don't be disappointed if the representative does not accept yours. Make note to adhere to whatever process is used to collect resumes.
Make notes of all conversations, and get the names and contact information for everyone that you speak to. Collect business cards if possible, but making notes in your program booklet will make your follow up easier when the event is over. Before you leave, check your lists to make sure that you did not miss anyone. This is also the time to review your notes and jot down any details that you will need to refer to during the next steps.
AFTER
Within the next few days go through all of the information you collected and prioritize organizations according to your level of interest. Send "thank you for coming and taking the time to talk to me" letters to your top choices. Reiterate your interest in these organizations and either send a copy of your resume, or state that you've submitted your resume in accordance with the organization's guidelines. Remind them of any details of the conversation that you think were important. This is where your notes from the previous day will definitely come in handy.
By all means keep in touch with employers. Use the information you gathered to plan your follow-up. Inquire about the possibility of networking opportunities with alumni that may be employed in the organization or with others who are working in jobs related to your interests.
