Editorial: Career fairs may feel intimidating, but don’t let it keep you from success
The Engineering Career Fair exploded with an impressive amount of companies coming to Hilton Feb. 6 interested in recruiting new members with fresh talent.
September 16, 2018
This year, the Engineering Career Fair is split into two days — the hope being that students will have more time to speak with all the different companies they would like to.
However, more important than extra time to stand in lines in anticipation of scoring a summer internship or co-op is the steps students should take in preparation to ensure their interactions with recruiters go well.
Here are several things to keep on mind as one prepares for the multiple career would have done to prepare for a successful career fair.
Hopefully you have registered for the career fair by now. If you haven’t, don’t worry. You can still register the day of at Hilton Coliseum or the Scheman building.
Another thing you can do is update your resume. Remember, your resume is the document with which you are trying to sell your skills and knowledge to recruiters. Don’t let your resume be the reason recruiters choose not to hire you. Engineering Career Services does one-minute resume reviews frequently, so be sure to get your resume looked over for any glaring mistakes.
Next, practice your elevator speech. This speech is the first words out of your mouth to the recruiter. A good elevator speech can set the tone for a great conversation and hopefully a job offer. A poor first interaction could result in your resume going in “that pile.”
Speaking of first impressions, ensure you are well dressed for the career fair. Recruiters don’t hire based on appearances, but they do want to see someone who looks professional.
Lastly, research the companies you are going to talk to. Having something to talk with the recruiter about is incredibly helpful and good research will keep you from saying something wrong. Knowing more about the company will also allow you to decide if they might be a good fit for you.
When you get to the career fair, try to keep one thing in mind: recruiters are people, too. Don’t be nervous, just go up to them and have a conversation. Crack a joke amd ask them how their day has been. Recruiters hire people, not a list of skills.
