Student Guide

​Before the Fair

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  • 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 ECRC 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 preliminary company list is now posted, and the full list will be available closer to the event.

  • 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 leave a positive impression!

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During the Fair

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  • 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 hundreds 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.

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Advice for First-Year Students

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  • 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.

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Advice for All Students

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  • 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 profile. See the LinkedIn Profile Checklist in the ECRC Career Guide for more information.

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To volunteer at the fair, contact us at careerfair@umich.edu!

Good luck! You got this!