Hey there! Do you have a career fair coming up and are you debating going? Or did you just miss your school’s career fair and wish you had gone? I just recently went to my college’s career fair and only decided the night before that I wanted to go. But I’m so happy I went; it was a great opportunity to network and learn about companies I potentially would want to intern or work for.
That is why I encourage everyone to step foot at their college career fair. I’m only a freshman and was nervous to go, but those around me highly encouraged me to go and present myself. In doing that, I was able to hand out my resume, present myself to potential employers, and learn about companies I never knew existed prior.
Here are some of the tips I learned from others and from going to the career fair to help prepare you all! It’s always great to make a name for yourself, and putting yourself out there is what matters most.
One of the most important things I will advise you all to do before attending your college’s career fair is to look up the companies beforehand. NC State had listed which companies would be there and what majors they were hiring for. This helped me narrow down which companies I would want to network with. It’s also important to do a bit of research to learn more about the company and its current projects. If there’s something that particularly stands out to you about the company, you can ask that question in person. They’ll love to see that you have shown genuine interest in learning about them, and this could potentially help you stand out from other candidates.
Now for your resume, I highly encourage you to bring a resume and have it looked over prior. Around the time of the career fair, colleges typically hold workshops for students to attend to work on their resumes. Workshops are a great opportunity for you to make your resume stronger; just a couple of suggestions could go a long way.
I would also look to see if any clubs are holding resume workshops. A club I am in at school held one, and this is actually what encouraged me to attend the career fair. I had some upperclassmen in the club help me with my resume, and this was extremely beneficial. They helped me reword some of the information on my resume to make it sound more professional, and this helped make it stronger.
If you’re unable to find workshops at your school, I would ask for help from the professionals in your life. Not only did I attend a resume workshop, but I also asked for the help of multiple family members who work in professional careers. Overall, I would recommend asking as many people as you can; it’s always great to receive feedback.
Now I know you’re probably wondering what I should wear. Professional dress is always important; this could include a formal dress or a nice pair of slacks paired with a nice shirt. You could also wear a professional skirt with a sweater or blouse. What’s most important is your confidence in what you’re wearing. You can always personalize your professional dress to your own personal style.
Pinterest is also such a great tool for finding fashion inspiration for professional wear! Down below, I have posted some of my favorites that have helped me curate some inspiration. I hope this helps you all. Make sure to have fun picking out what you wear!
Finally, what I believe is most important when attending the career fair is having confidence in yourself. It’s important to remember that you put yourself out there, because that can usually be a scary thing. Remember all you have accomplished, smile, and just be yourself! The right people will connect with you for a reason.
A great way to do this is to have an elevator pitch, an elevator pitch is essentially where you pitch yourself as a person. You describe your qualities as a person, and how you apply those qualities. For example, this could be the clubs you’re involved in or the jobs you have been employed in. Whatever you think will make you stand out! Make sure to rehearse this to yourself a couple of times before, so it’ll come out naturally. You got this!
I know this is all better said than done. I was very nervous for my first time, and I’m still learning things as I go. But I’m glad I was encouraged to go; all in all, it was great practice for future career fairs. Whenever there’s a chance to meet people who could potentially help you achieve your career goals, I say do it; you never know when the opportunity will present itself!