In person Career Fairs, the Do’s and the Don’ts

• Clara Boles
• July 19, 2022
• Newsletter Article

Living in a very virtual world the last two years, and having primarily virtual career fairs, a lot of us have never experienced an in-person career fair, or just have not been to one in a long time.

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Living in a very virtual world the last two years, and having primarily virtual career fairs, a lot of us have never experienced an in-person career fair, or just have not been to one in a long time. While the goal of a career fair is essentially the same, virtual and in-person, going about it is a bit different. Here are some rules of thumb for your next in-person career fair. 

 

Do’s

 

Dress to Impress

This might seem a bit ridiculous to say, but after being behind a screen for a while, you have got to keep in mind to dress professionally head to toe, not just head to waist. First impressions are taken seriously, so you want to be on top of your game.

Dress for business. This means a blazer, slacks, nice clean shoes and really just trying your best to be polished head to toe. If you are to wear a dress or a skirt, make sure it is appropriate and comes at least to the top of your knee.

 

Have your Resume on Point

Perfect your resume, spend time making sure it is good to go, spelling, content, and grammar! Make sure to print out plenty of resumes. There is nothing worse than having a great conversation with a recruiter and realizing you don’t have any resumes left to hand over.

Also, know your resume. This recruiter may stand and talk to you a while, about your resume, you don’t want to get in a pinch, if they ask any questions about what is on your resume, you should be prepared.

Check out this article for more in-depth resume advice.

 

Take your Elevator Pitch to the Next Level

An elevator pitch is a brief way to introduce yourself, usually stating your name, major, career goals and so on. Now don’t have this so memorized that you sound like a robot, but keep in mind to hit on the key points.

If you are nervous or have never really given an elevator pitch, practice in the mirror or with a friend. Being in person, you want to make sure your body language is matching your elevator pitch and that you are not appearing as nervous or uninterested.

 

Don’ts

 

Come without the Proper Research

When you attend a career fair virtually it takes a lot of the prep work out of it, you can easily be researching a company and their career opportunities online, right before you talk with the company. With an in-person career fair, that approach isn’t going to fly.

Do your homework beforehand. Know the companies you are interested in talking to, know what they specialize in and what their career/ job opportunities are. Most all organizations that are hosting the career fair have a landing page for all the companies in attendance, use this to your advantage!

 

Forget to Follow Up

It is principal to make sure and ask for a business card after a valuable conversation with a recruiter. Send a follow up email and thank them for the opportunity to chat with them and make sure to attach your resume! You would be surprised how many people have a great connection with someone at a fair, but never follow up, this is a great way to stand out from the crowd!

 

I hope these tips and tricks make your next in-person career fair a success! Don’t forget to look for your next career fair on AgCareers.com!