What questions should you prepare to ask employers at a job fair?

Understanding company culture is essential. It determines your fit within the organization and impacts your effectiveness. By inquiring about the company’s values, work environment, and employee growth initiatives, you demonstrate a commitment to thriving long-term, beyond just earning a paycheck. This approach ensures that the company’s culture aligns with your personal and professional values, fostering a mutually beneficial relationship.

When asking a recruiter about growth potential, don't ask a hypothetical about yourself. 11 times out of 10 they will respond as though working at the company is the best thing in the world - it is their job. The best thing to ask if you want the truth would be retention rate and what specific training programs are in place, what the cadence is for 1-1s with your manager, and how long it took employees directly above your position to get promoted there (if applicable internally).

Asking about growth opportunities highlights my ambition and commitment to career development. Understanding pathways for advancement, learning options, and mentorship programs shows that I aim to invest in a company where I can grow professionally. This also helps me assess if the company is dedicated to investing in its employees' futures.

Asking demonstrates my interest in understanding current issues and discussing how my skills can help address them. This positions me as a problem-solver ready to make a positive impact.

Rather than asking about a company's achievements, I recommend coming prepared to highlight something that you saw and that resonates with you, like a recognition for Community Involvement, or an Award for Diversity and Inclusion. When you show that you took the initiative to research the company, and indicate that it is a mutual area of focus, you make that connection. You can then ask, "are there any other company or cultural accolades that may not be as well-known or publicly acknowledged that you're proud of?" to get familiar with other internal successes of the company!

Learning about a company's recent successes provides insight into their strengths and market position. Asking about their achievements shows my interest in joining a successful team and allows me to connect their successes to my experience, demonstrating how I can help build on them.

If you can find a job posting for the role you'd like to explore at the organization, I highly recommend reviewing that in depth or even printing and bringing along. The representative at the job fair may not be as familiar with the position, so asking about "day-to-day" details, or nuances of the team may not be something they can answer. Instead, think about how you can draw correlations to what is already outlined as their qualifications, skills and competencies from the job posting. Highlighting transferrable skills or sharing specific accomplishments would also be an easy way to ensure someone who may not be a subject matter expert can appreciate your value-add as a prospective candidate!

It can be overwhelming to have seemingly endless companies presented to you, so prior to even attending, you should make a list of what you would like to accomplish. Candidates should take time to research specific organizations that will be in attendance prior to arriving, and think about what they want to explore more. Determine your priorities, whether a specific role or understanding their culture and employee commitment, and strategically connect with companies or individuals as you navigate the event. Keep in mind, your questions should be specific enough to show preparation and expressed interest in that organization, but not too technical, as the representative may not be equipped to answer.