3 Keys to Winning Your Career Fair

It’s 9:30 am. I adjust my tie again against my freshly ironed shirt and do another scan of my crisp suit. It’s senior year and I’m one of the first people in a quickly growing line that will soon weave through the walkways of west campus and around the block. The campus wide printer system is down due to the overwhelming number of résumés that people are trying to print this morning. It’s no worry to me though since I got my 30 copies on the special card stock I ordered specifically for this day, the night before. I’ve been prepping for this day and I’m ready. It’s the career fair.

Nothing matches the energy of career fair day on campus. That gymnasium full of booths could potentially hold the key to your future. The “Yes” that you’ve been putting in all those late nights for. The opportunity that makes it all worth it. The means by which you’re able to provide for yourself and others. It’s a serious event that should be prepared for. I went to four career fairs at MIT ,and since graduating I’ve been to two more recruiting for Microsoft as a Software Engineer. I’ve been on both sides of the recruiting table and I thought I’d share some of my learning over the years.

You are your best and only advocate out there

At the career fair, you have about 3 minutes to make a good impression. The fair is about putting your best foot forward and presenting yourself in the best light possible. This is your time to show off. This was one of the most frustrating things that I experienced on the recruiting side of the event. Students tended to be too humble! I was having to really pry and inquire about interesting things on the résumés I was getting. I was learning really cool things about the candidates, but sometimes only because I was asking questions. Some students have the mindset that they are going to let the résumé talk for itself. So many times would a student walk up to me, introduce themselves, hand me their résumé and just wait for my response. That is not the correct approach at all. As a recruiter I might glance at your resume for a second or two to scan it and associate it with your face but initially I want the information to come from you. The résumé will serve as a reminder for me when reviewing candidates later, but right now, I want to hear about the things you’re most proud of and enthusiastic about. This is also your chance for you to show off your communication skills. That’s something that no paper résumé can ever do.

Give yourself a chance.

One of the most intimidating aspects of the career fair, especially as an underclassman, is the competition. You’re surrounded by other potentially more qualified students, ready to take your opportunities away from you. But looking at it this way is completely wrong. Today is all about you. No one else exists. You get to go in and make 35 first impressions to people who want you to be a good match for their open positions. If you go in worrying about the person in front of you in line, you’re just getting distracted and psyching yourself out.

I remember during my freshman year, waiting in line to speak to a recruiter at Boeing. I probably waited in line for 20 minutes and when I was next in the queue I could hear the conversation happening in front of me. It was a graduate student with a long list of accomplishments that she was going over in great detail. They had a long conversation as far as career fairs go and the recruiter it seemed had all but given her the offer at this point. As I could sense the conversation wrapping up, not wanting to embarrass myself in comparison, I slid out of line giving up spot to the next person. I always feel a little ashamed of this particular moment, not because I lacked experience or wasn’t good enough, but because I didn’t even give myself a chance. It’s the company’s job to decide if you’re not qualified. Not yours. Your job here is to put yourself out there and to give yourself a chance to succeed.

Practice, Practice, Practice

You wouldn’t go into a job interview without having prepared or doing any research. So you shouldn’t go into the career fair unprepared either. The event is just 30+ mini interviews. Here are some important tips for how to prepare.

Have a list of specific companies that you want to go to. Have a top 5 and check out their listings online first so you can have an idea of the types of offerings they have. This is especially important for underclassmen as certain companies have specific programs for geared towards freshmen and sophomores. Three that come to mind are the

Microsoft Explore Program

the Google Engineering Practicum

and Facebook University

Where you might not be quite ready for the full internship program, you might be a perfect fit for a program of this nature.

Practice your elevator pitch. Really think about the things on your résumé that you’re most proud of write yourself a little script of what you want to say. This is your chance to show your enthusiasm for your work and you don’t want to let jumbled words mess it up. Another way to practice is to take a couple rounds at companies that you haven’t heard of. That way you get to learn about a new company and what they do, and you also get to practice your pitch. You never know as well. It could turn out to be a great opportunity for you.

Different companies have different attitudes towards dressing up. In the tech industry as an engineer it’s pretty out of the ordinary for people to dress up, but I always recommend it for career fairs. It’s a way to show people that you’re taking their time and this opportunity seriously. You don’t have to go all out, but a little effort can make a difference. It can also help you get into the right mindset. The whole event is about presenting yourself a best as you can and attire can play a factor.

Go to your school’s career center and have someone review your résumé. If you don’t have one or want to upgrade the format of yours, there are plenty of templates online that you can use. Be sure to print out at least 30 copies as well. You want to be sure to have enough to go around. Having a personal website with your portfolio of work on it is also a great addition. Most tech companies have an optional section on their online applications where you can include a link to a personal site. It’s usually not required, but it’s a good way to stand out. Be sure to also share your coding projects on Github if you have any. That's another great way to standout for tech focused applicants.

In Conclusion

Ultimately the career fair is about preparation and confidence. It’s about you having confidence in yourself, and inspiring that same confidence about you to the people on the other side of the table. I wish you all the best of luck in the upcoming recruiting season. You might see me at the Microsoft booth.