
Fall Engineering Career Fair
Hosted by TBP/SWE
Student Guide
Before the Fair
-
Register for the app (more info coming soon)
-
Brush up on best practices for talking to recruiters, including working on a short elevator pitch
-
Make sure your resume is up-to-date and consider having it reviewed (take advantage of university resources to help with this!)
-
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 conversations with recruiters
-
Research companies you are interested in and formulate specific questions for their recruiters or relevant skills to which you plan to draw their attention
-
Attend Receptions! The more times you can talk to recruiters the better. Let the recruiter remember you!
-
Visit here for more information on companies and job postings. The company list will be posted the week before the fair
-
Visit here 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. Business formal attire is strongly encouraged; remember that you’re trying to make an impact!
During the Fair
-
Be calm. You’ve done your research, and are fully prepared to talk to any recruiter that comes your way. Let your personality shine!
-
Be memorable. Recruiters will be talking to thousands of students throughout the day, so make sure to make an impactful 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)
Advice for First-Year Students
-
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 any activities you’ve already started. Your involvement does not have to be extensive
-
Even if you haven't declared a major, a career fair is a good way to explore different options. Consider asking company representatives about their own major and how they use it in the organization
Advice for All Students
-
Have an electronic version of your resume ready if needed, but print more copies than you think you’ll need
-
Perfect your elevator speech: make it short, 30-60 seconds
-
Start with your name, year, and 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 and why you are a good fit for this type of job
-
Goal: What are you looking to gain?
-
Motivation: Why do you want to work there?
-
-
-
Go to short lines if you’re looking to maximize the number of companies you can visit. If there’s a company you strongly want to visit that is popular or more likely to have a long line, go very early or very late in the day to avoid the largest crowd
-
Remember to jot down contact information and any additional notes as you speak to recruiters
-
Update your LinkedIn. Connect with recruiters to display your interests in a professional manner
Good luck! You got this!