With the career fairs in full swing, here are six essential things to have in hand when attending the career fair to help you prepare and to maximize employment opportunities.

1. Updated Résumé

Ensure that your résumé is up to date, a single page and easy to read. For the career fair, it is important to remember to update your contact information and most recent involvements and accomplishments. Plan ahead and bring extra copies in case a résumé gets damaged, misplaced or you end up talking to more employers than you had first planned to. 

2. Portfolio 

Not only does a portfolio make you look professional but it also serves a lot of useful purposes, especially at a career fair. A portfolio helps keep you organized, store your belongings and provides you with a hard surface to write notes. Portfolios can be found at the University Book Store. 

3. Materials

When talking to a future employer, make sure to bring a notepad and something to write with to take notes so the employer knows you are interested in what they are saying and the position that is being offered. Always be sure to catch the contact information, email or business card of the prospective employer so you can follow up with questions or simply thank them for their time. 

4. Research 

It is important to be prepared for anything that may come your way. Have questions for the future employers on their companies to really catch their attention. A map of the venue and a list of companies that will be attending the Iowa State University career fairs can be found on CyHire. 

5. Comfortable shoes

Find a nice pair of shoes that you feel comfortable walking around in all day no matter the weather or circumstances you may come across. 

6. Elevator Speech 

Introduce yourself and have a pitch to promote yourself highlighting why you would be a fit for their company. Always be sure to have something to say. Sometimes it may be awkward and you may not click with the employer, but you should always come prepared to promote yourself. When in doubt, talk about yourself. When doing research, find something interesting about the companies and the employers that you plan to talk to.