CAREER FAIR

Although it seems strange to think about getting a job right after you’ve started college, the general career fair happens just a few weeks into the fall semester. Even though you probably aren’t thinking about starting salaries (or perhaps even what exactly you want to do after college), you should definitely go. It can be overwhelming at first, and it is important to know what to expect for future years when you are looking for other positions.

You should also attend your major-specific career fair. Most majors will have their own career fair specifically for companies looking for students within that field. These fairs don’t have as many companies as the regular fair, but that works in your favor, too: you won’t be wasting your time waiting in a line for an internship or co-op you probably won’t get as a freshman anyway. There will also be a smaller, co-op/internship focused career fair held in the spring.

At the career fair, you have a short amount of time to make a good impression to the companies there. This is done using your resume and elevator pitch. Your elevator pitch is a 30-60 second speech to the company to highlight who you are and some of the things you have done. You don’t want the first time you ever give your elevator pitch to be to the company you are interested in interning with, so practice your elevator pitch prior to going to the career fair, whether you give it to your roommate, your PL, or even your mirror.

If you’d like to attract attention from prospective employers at the event, you must have a resume on hand that you can use that showcases who you are and what you’ve done. Here are some general guidelines for resume formatting:

-1 page maximum

-Use nothing smaller than size 10 font with Times New Roman or Arial

-Include separate sections for activities at Tech, extracurriculars in high school, and any other experiences. (Note: Your high school activities/accomplishments should be removed after you’ve completed 1st year at Tech. Once you hit your second year, only keep the high school activities that directly relate to your current field).

-Within in each section, list any activities that relate to your current field above any non-major-related activities.

-In your resume, list your campus address and a phone number that you can readily answer.

Remember that a resume by no means needs to include every activity or accomplishment you’ve had over the past four years. If you find yourself limited on space, only include the activities that you feel you could talk with some depth about with a recruiter or interviewer. During the career fair or another employment opportunity, you can expect to be asked to describe any of the activities you’ve presented in your resume and reflect on how each of your experiences have forged your current interests, skills, and character.

When you go to any career fair, make sure that you have more resumes than you think you will need. I.e. if you plan on talking to 9 companies, bring 20 resumes and hand them out to even more recruiters.

For expert advice on resumes and elevator pitches, check out the Center for Career Discovery and Development (C2D2) office and website. In the days and weeks leading up to Career Fair, the C2D2 will be running a host of workshops on resumes when you can get your resume critiqued.

When it comes time for the career fair, dress up. Guys should wear a suit and tie, if you do not have access to a jacket, at least wear a dress shirt and tie. Girls should dress formally. Dresses should be fairly conservative and a good blazer is appreciated. Take the time to look at which companies will be at the career fair, and look at information about those companies. If you mention interest in specific projects that the company is working on, it can go a long way to securing you a position with the company. On the other hand, if you know nothing about them except for their logo, they have no reason to think you’re genuinely interested in working for them.

When you get there, don’t freak out. Once you start talking to a few companies, you will feel much more comfortable. That being said, talk to a few smaller companies first to get a feel for who the interactions normally go. This will give you a chance to practice giving your elevator pitch to real company representatives, and you have a higher chance of landing a position with that company. You’ll find that many company representatives are very friendly, and some exchanges are like normal conversations. Make sure also to talk to some larger companies, even if it means waiting some time in line. The worst that could happen is they say no. Just keep in mind that some lines will be multiple hours long, and it probably isn’t worth waiting quite that long. Don’t be discouraged if you run into any companies that tell you they are only interested in upperclassmen; it’s still good practice, and you might get on their radar for future years.

At the career fair, you will run into companies that will tell you to apply online. After you leave the career fair, fill out their applications at the sites given to you. Also monitor all facets of communication that are listed on your resume for the next week (email, phone, etc.). Many companies hold their interview during the same week as the career fair, and you don’t want to miss any message they try and get to you. This is especially true if you receive any tips telling you that you will likely receive an interview from the company while you talk to them.

Congrats! You survived the career fair.