How to: Network at a Career Fair

Career fairs can be scary. But if you take the time to think about it, the way to a great experience at a career fair is usually pretty straight forward. Here are some tips to serve as a rough guide for you to get out there.

1. How to Prepare

Do Your Research

Know which companies you want to look for and which match your interests by searching up which companies will be at the career fair. Remember, you don’t need to (and probably feasibly cannot) visit every single company at the career fair so be selective (5 Tips for ..).

Take time to reflect on what your passions and interests are. These can be technical in nature (manufacturing experience, process analysis, chemical synthesis, program design, etc.) or based on your values (constant growth, collaborative working environment, teaching and mentoring others, potential to take risks, etc.). Look into whether the companies are hiring in your area of interests, this is also a great talking point for when you meet the recruiter.

Prepare Your Pitch

Before going to the career fair, prepare a short and quick introduction of yourself, your name, area of study, and what you are interested in. You will need to introduce yourself a lot on the day, so prepping this beforehand will help you look and be prepared.

Take time to reflect on what your passions and interests are as well as some experiences that you can speak to using the STAR method — situation, task, action, result (check out The STAR Method… for an extensive example). Also, reflect on what makes you unique and what makes you stand out out of the other students at this career fair and use that to make a lasting first impression (5 Tips for ..).

For additional support, YNCN has created a presentation and video recording of the 2021 Winter Career Fair Pitch Workshop.

Prep Your Mindset — Emotional Presence

Remember, your goal at this career fair is not to get hired right away, but create a first point of contact with these companies (5 Tips for ..).

It can get really busy and distracting at a career fair; if you don’t make a meaningful connection with the recruiter, it’s going to be tough to be remembered. As much as possible, try and care about the people you’re talking to, listen to what they have to say, and speak genuinely about your interests. Too many people see networking as a purely transactional exchange and miss the opportunity to not only leave lasting impressions, but also to foster meaningful conversations.

2. What to Say on the Day of the Career Fair

Introduce Yourself

It can be disrespectful to recruiters to begin the conversation with “what kind of jobs do you offer?”. Instead, take the extra 10 seconds to greet them, introduce yourself, and use the pitch prepared beforehand, as an opportunity to catch the recruiter’s attention and build that emotional presence.

Lead with Your Passions

Time to put that preparation to practice. Using the passions you have reflected on, start a conversation with the recruiter showing your interest in the company. Your passions and interests don’t have to be too specific, but at least have a general idea of what you’re interested in; you can clarify and narrow it down as needed based on how your conversation with the recruiter goes. If you’ve got a bunch of different interests, then consider which ones may line up with the different companies that you’re speaking with and focus on those. Also use the research done beforehand to tie in how your passions align with the company’s values and mission.

Be Confident and Friendly

Although you may be nervous, remember recruiters are just people like you. A good smile, posture, and charisma can really make all the difference in leaving an impression. If you fumble, laugh it off and keep going, there’s no point in stressing. Also, recruiters see dozens if not hundreds of people over the day, most of whom will do nothing more than focus on themselves; a genuine “How are you doing?” and a friendly tone can go a long way to making yourself stand out.

Be Employable!

All that aside, it’s worth noting that most of the time, when people are preparing for job applications or career fairs, they think about resumes, cover letters, what to wear, and how to act. The one thing that often gets overlooked is that all of these things are decorations; they only help to make the product look better. If you’re serious about being employed somewhere, then be employable. Always look for opportunities to build yourself, whether that is learning a new skill or becoming more aware of your strengths and weaknesses, starting a side-project or attending an interesting conference. In the grand scheme of things, there’s no time when you should not consider learning and growing, even if that time is right after a major career fair.

3. Leaving the Conversation

Ask Questions and Stay in Touch

When wrapping up the conversation, don’t forget to thank them for their time and ask any final questions. Ask them how to move forward with the application process and what the best way to stay in touch is — usually LinkedIn (How to Talk ..). Remember that this conversation is meant to be an opening to connections in the future, so having a way to contact them again will be crucial.

Don’t Assume that “Apply Online” Means “Don’t Worry About this Conversation”

In general, many students will find out that a company either doesn’t have postings up yet or will redirect them to an online application tool, after which the students will simply walk away. This can be a huge mistake if you haven’t already left an impression with the employer. Although not true of all companies, many recruiters who may not be formally accepting applications will still be looking out for candidates and take note of the people that stand out. If they remember you or have your resume and you’ve convinced them that you’re a good fit, they will be looking for your name once applications open up and will most likely expedite you straight through to the interview phase.

Key Takeaways

Remember to…

• Prepare beforehand
• Relax, be yourself, and be confident
• Be employable!

Don’t forget, recruiters are people too. In the end, a successful network is making that emotional connection or lasting impression that will enable you to reach out to them in the future and continue this relationship.

If you are ever looking for more advice, check out the More Resources section below. Feel free to contact YNCN on social media or email for any other questions!

More Resources

• YNCN presentation and video recording of the 2021 Winter Career Fair Pitch Workshop.
• 5 Tips for Successful Career Fair Networking
• How to Talk to Recruiters at a Career Fair
• The STAR Method: The Secret to Acing Your Next Job Interview

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