Students: Prepare for the Fair

Before Career Fair

Apply for jobs you are interested in online before talking to recruiters. This gets you one step ahead of the game and allows you to have more conversation with recruiters.
Research companies you are interested in and formulate specific questions for their recruiters.
Attend Receptions! The more times you can talk to recruiters the better. Let the recruiter remember you!
Visit https://engineering-umich-csm.symplicity.com/students for more information on companies and job postings. The company list will be posted the week before the career fair.
Visit https://careercenter.umich.edu/events for events like interview workshops or Clothes Closet which allows a student to pick out up to three articles of business clothing donated from the community.
Prepare a clean, professional outfit to show your best self to recruiters.

Check your backpack at the EGL coat check and use a good quality binder to hold your papers.
Talk to companies you are not extremely interested in first to shake your nerves.
BE CALM. You’ve done your research, and are fully prepared to talk to any recruiter that comes your way. Let that personality shine!
BE MEMORABLE. Recruiters will be talking to thousands of students throughout the day, so make sure to make that connection. Connect with the recruiters on a personal note and give them something unique about yourself.
BE PATIENT. Waiting in line can be time consuming. Make the most of that time - go over your elevator pitch or do some more company research in line.
Note a few details from each interaction that can be put into a thank you email to the recruiters you talked with.

Don't be afraid to check out the career fair! Practice makes perfect, and the earlier you start going to career fairs, the sooner you will become a pro at talking to recruiters.
Update your resume to show your college major and activities. Bring several copies to the career fair.
Even if you haven't declared a major, a career fair is still a good way to explore different options. Consider asking company representatives about their own major and how they use it in the organization.
Perfect your elevator speech: make it short, 30-60 seconds.
- Start with your name, year, and prospective major.
- Include these four topics to pull it all together:
  - Skills: Include your experiences and skills you bring to the table.
  - Confidence: Show off your strengths & why are you are a good fit for this type of job.
  - Goal: What are looking to gain?
  - Motivation: Why do you want to work there?
Go to short lines if you are looking for the first internship to maximize the number of companies you can visit. If there is a company you really want to visit that is popular or more likely to have a long line, go really early or really late.
Remember to collect business cards and jot down any additional notes as you speak to recruiters.
Update your Linkedin! Connect with recruiters to show a professional light on your interests.