How to Handle a Career Fair
Navigating a career fair can be an overwhelming—and sometimes a pretty chaotic—event! Career fairs can seem challenging, especially if you don't know what to look out for. The information on this page will help you organize your thoughts and plan for the fair so you have a clear agenda walking into one this year and the years to come.
Your first step
Find out a bit about what organizations or companies will be present. Determine what companies you would be interested in talking to. Identify what they offer as product and services; especially look for what they want in an employee, what their mission is, and the various divisions of their company.
Before the fair
How to prepare
- Most employers will have qualifiers to attend their session - those could include major, school year, GPA and work authorization status. Make sure to complete your profile and upload a relevant master resume to your Handshake profile and make sure it is visible to employers.
- Create and practice a 30 second introduction speech to highlight skills and experiences relevant to the employer.
- Be prepared to ask thoughtful questions on each company specifically. Be prepared to answer “why are you interested in our company?” Don’t forget to relax, be patient, and have a sense of humor.
- Check out this LinkedIn Learning course on preparing your elevator pitch. It's free to all Cornell students, staff, and faculty with our campus subscription.
What to wear
If you are attending the fair for full-time jobs or internships, it may be prudent to wear professional business attire. However, if you are attending to explore possible careers, looking at nonprofit organizations, or comparing graduate schools, business casual may be appropriate. Just remember that you are dressing for the job you want as well as to make a good first impression.
During the fair
The introduction
Introduce yourself with a smile let them know you are happy to talk to them. After they introduce themselves, give your 30 second introduction speech. Be sure to add why you are at the career fair. Be sure to repeat the recruiter’s name throughout your conversation to show that you actually care about the company.
Keep the conversation going
Begin by mentioning that you already know a bit about the company. Ask thoughtful questions about the company to further your understanding. Don’t ask broad general questions like “tell me a bit about your company” these will leave the burden on the recruiter and leave them frustrated. Inquire about opportunities for new graduates that have your major. If you find that you are interested in working for the organization, ask about the application process!
The exit
Did you ask about the application process? Make sure they have a copy of your resume from your Handshake profile, or ask if they would like you to send a copy to them. Ask for a business card or company information. Mention what actions you will take i.e. submitting an application, visiting the company itself. Thank the recruiter and be sure to acknowledge by name.
After the fair
Review what you found out about the companies as soon as you can. Send a thank you to the companies you talked to. Even if you know you don't want to work for them, thank them for their time. You never know who will show up in your network down the road and that small courtesy now might lead to connections later. Always be sure to follow through with any action the recruiter recommended.