Preparing for Career Fair: 5 Quick Tips to Make a Good Impression

Having a successful career fair experience is key to connecting with potential employers and learning more about the job market. Being prepared for a career fair can get you off on the right foot for networking and help build confidence when interview opportunities begin to appear shortly after. Here are some tips to ensure you get the most out of your career fair experience:

Do Your Research

It’s a good idea to know what jobs you’d be excited to do versus willing to do before going to a career fair. This starts with researching the companies that will be in attendance and which positions they are looking to fill at the career fair. There will likely be a lot of companies coming to the fair (my college’s sometimes included 100+ companies), so narrowing down the companies and positions of interest can help you make the most of your limited time.

If available, research the layout of the fair so that when you arrive you know exactly where to go and the order of booths to attend to be time efficient. Check campus resources for a map or ask someone coordinating the fair about the typical setup to give you a leg up and build your confidence.

Prepare Your Materials

Have your resume ready and multiple copies to hand out. At this point, you should have a list of companies that you want to visit. Make sure you have at least one resume per company plus a few extra in case you meet more than one person at a particular booth.

If you’re applying to a creative position and you have extra work you’d like to show, bring your portfolio or any other materials that may help employers get to know you better.

Dress Appropriately

When in doubt dress UP because making a good impression is important for a career fair. You want to show that you’re taking the opportunity seriously so try to dress closer to business professional than business casual. A nice pair of slacks or trousers and a blouse or polo is perfectly fine, but you can also go further and wear a full suit or dress.

No one has ever made a bad impression because they dressed up too much at a career fair so it’s better to be safe than sorry. If possible, wear professional but comfortable shoes because you’ll be waiting in some long lines and standing for quite some time.

Make Connections

Talk to as many people as you can. The entire point of the career fair is to build your network with companies that already have connections to your university and want to hire people like you! If you have extra time talk to a few companies that didn’t spark your interest at first, but maybe have shorter lines. You never know who you could meet.

All of the connections you make have the potential to help in your job/internship search later on and you may meet someone you’ll run into in the industry. A mentor of mine from a college program introduced me to a friend of hers. Little did I know at the time that her friend would end up being a director in the company I received a full-time offer from. This goes to show that whether the contact benefits now or down the line, it’s important to form connections and make good impressions.

Follow Up

After the career fair, make sure to follow up with the employers you spoke with. This will help you stay in their minds and also show your enthusiasm for the job opportunity. This can be through connecting on Linkedin or through email if you have access to that. A simple thank you for the conversation and showing your eagerness to continue in the candidate process can go a long way.

If you haven’t already filled out the online job application, also do this right away so they know you’re interested when they see your application come through the system.

A career fair is a great resource for starting the job search process. It can help you build connections, become familiar with companies and positions that match your interests, and build your confidence for other job search opportunities down the line.