Career Fairs--Tips and Tricks

See the list of Job and Professional Fair events hosted by Career Services here!

Be sure to register for the upcoming career fair. Preregistered attendees will receive additional information via email leading up to the career fair, a printed name tag upon arrival, and you may have the chance to be entered into a drawing to win a door prize.
Get more information about our upcoming career fairs, such as a list of employers attending, links to their webpages, positions they're recruiting for, which companies are interviewing onsite, and more under the Find a Job tab.
If you would like to schedule an interview with a company, please email careers@shawnee.edu or call 740.351.3027.

Resume? What resume? No resume, no problem! Visit the Resume page or our office for resources to help get you started.
Review your resume for spelling and grammatical errors and schedule an appointment to have your resume reviewed by a professional in the Career Services Office. To schedule an appointment, email careers@shawnee.edu or call 740.351.3027.
Once you're sure your resume is error free, be sure to print off at least 15 copies on resume paper to bring to the career fair in a padfolio or nice folder to hand out to employers you’re interested in. FREE RESUME PAPER can be found in the Career Services office (Massie 124).

What do you hope to achieve by attending?
Practice your 30-second “Elevator Pitch.” At the bare minimum, this “pitch” should include your name, major, the position you are interested in, and why you are interested in x company or organization. For more information on elevator pitches, check out this “how to” guide here and some more information from Forbes.

Be sure to be well-groomed and dressed as if you were attending an interview. Appropriate dress varies depending on which career fair you're attending. Be sure to pay attention to advertisements for information regarding dress and see the “Interview Tips” tab for more details.

...a black or blue ink pen and a notepad so that you'll be prepared to fill out any paper-based applications and you will be able to quickly write down any information about potential employers.
...a padfolio or folder for your resumes and any information you may collect from employers. Be sure to bring multiple copies of your resume as you may visit and be interested in more companies or organizations than you originally planned on.

Upon arrival and check in, you'll be provided with a name tag. Be sure to pick up a map and any other resources that you may need from the resource table on your way in. This will allow you to maximize your time and navigate through the fair with ease.

You're at the career fair to sell your qualities and skills to potential employer, not to hang out with your friends and collect freebies.

You'll want to organize the information from the brochures you collected and your notes right after the career fair when it is fresh in your mind. That way if you are contacted for an interview, you can refer back to your notes and brochures for more information.
To leave a lasting impression, send thank you notes to employers who took the time to chat with you about their company or organization, especially if you hope to get an interview and work for them in the future.

...making eye contact, offering a firm handshake, and a smile.
...asking appropriate questions. Do NOT discuss salary and benefits. Put your research to good use and ask questions relating to the company or organizations products, services, and philosophies.
...collecting business cards and by asking who to contact after the event to follow up regarding a potential job opening or an interview.

Send thank you notes to employers of interest you met within 24-48 hours after the event. Thank them for their time and mention hopes to hear from them soon.
Follow up with online applications, or by sending a resume and cover letter to the appropriate person.
Apply for any job(s) you may be interested in. Most of the time, online applications will be available.
Check in with the Career Services office with specific questions.

Career Fairs: Tips and Tricks