Making the Most of the Career & Internship Fair Liberal Arts Career Services

Making the Most of the Career & Internship Fair Liberal Arts Career Services

Recruiter Career Fair Advice Our career fair recruiters were asked the following question to help you make the most of your visit to the fair. Check out their responses for insider tips! If you could offer one bit of advice to our students (about the fair or in general), what would that be? Research the company more and be able to articulate exactly what you are looking for. Have an open mind when speaking with employers. Be professional in all aspects where a potential employer may gather info about you. Know what area you are looking for, or at least have a general idea--as far as geography and industry. Just be yourself-when you approach a booth, we notice how you carry yourself. Also, follow up with the companies you are serious about. Talk to as many employees as people-each will give you a piece of advice that will help you find what you're looking for. Ask them what they look for in employees. Resumes are super important and they should go through multiple revisions before presentation. Have a good grasp of the company's mission/business. Make eye contact with employers.

Get Prepped: Make Your Resume Top Priority Craft a professional-looking resume that really sells your strengths, experience, and accomplishments Allow plenty of time for editing and feedback What makes a successful resume?

Get Prepped: Strategize Your Approach Check out the list of employers who will be attending Rank the ones you re interested in speaking with in order of importance

Get Prepped: Research Why do you want to work for this organization? Prepare yourself by visiting the websites of each employer on your list Review their history, press releases, rankings, mission/values statements, and jobs/career pages Check out our online resources to help you research companies/organizations

Get Prepped: Elevator Pitch Three Elements. Thirty Seconds or Less Concrete Information Name Year Degree (optional) Subjective Information Themes of your experience Highlights Interests Connecting Information Why this company? Why this job?

Get Prepped: Prepare Materials Have at least 1 resume for each company you plan to speak with + 5 more to give employers who attract your attention on the day Bring a quality padfolio to store your resumes and notes in Print on good quality paper (at least 20lb weight) found at the Texas Union Copy Center Consider bringing business cards if you have them

Dress to Impress: Women

Dress to Impress: Men

Dress to Impress: Things to Avoid Loud colors (clothes/shoes, jewelry, Revealing fabrics make-up, hair) Plastic or crafty jewelry, including earrings Casual wear (jeans, t-shirts, tank tops) Excessive jewelry Floral, plaid or other "busy" designs Cleavage, chest hair Shorts, capri pants, and short skirts Strong odors (perfumes, colognes, smoke, Mismatched clothing (fabrics, colors, garlic) Tattered, faded, stained or dirty patterns) clothing Wrinkled, untucked, pilled or linty clothing Visible body art (tattoos, bodmod) Open-toed footwear and athletic shoes

At The Event: Walk Through Once Identify the locations of your selected employers but be open to others that pique your interest Practice your pitch!

At The Event: Waiting in Line Be attentive Try and feel for how long the recruiter likes to spend with each person If you find yourself talking incessantly and see them start to look around the room, at their watch, or the person behind you, take the cue and bring the conversation to a close

At The Event: Take Notes Collect business cards from everyone you speak with and use the reverse to make notes about your last conversation The more people you meet, the more your memory is likely to become a blur Jot down key points about the conversation

After The Event: Follow-Up Appropriately Whether or not you re offered an interview (and certainly after you ve had one) it s often a good idea to write to the recruiter to remind them of your meeting The only time to ignore this advice is if an employer asked you specifically not to contact them

After The Event: Reflect Career success doesn t just involve getting the job you want, but working for an organization that shares your values and provides an enjoyable environment Think about your connection with each recruiter: To what extent could you see yourself working alongside them? What impression did they give about the kind of people who fit their corporate culture?

After The Event: Be Realistic Don t expect to get an immediate job offer based on a relatively short (and public) discussion with recruiters Consider the career fair experience as one of many touch points on your road to exploring one or several compelling career paths

LACS Services Services Career Coaching Resumes & Cover Letters Interviewing (Mock Interviews) Internships Job Search Networking LinkedIn Profile

THANK YOU! FAC 18 512.471.7900 UTEXAS.EDU/COLA/ORGS/LACS/