Ten Tips to Working a Career Fair

The CWSEvents / Internships / Jobs / Networking

It’s one month away!

Students, we hope to see you at our annual career fair on February 13, 2013 in Tishman Commons from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm. Open to all students and alumnae, The Fair attracts science companies, not-for-profit/public service organizations and for-profit companies to campus as they recruit for jobs and internships.

Curious about the guest list? Here’s a preview of the diverse range of organizations and companies planning to attend:

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • City on a Hill Charter Public High School
  • Capital One
  • MIT Lincoln Laboratory
  • NBC Universal
  • KAYAK
  • New England Aquarium
  • National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

There’s something for everyone! With this one month countdown until the big event, we have included our ten insider tips for working a career fair:

  1. Dress is business casual. If you are not sure what that means, stop by the CWS during drop-in hours and speak with a CWS counselor.
  2. Before going to The Fair, research the companies, organizations and schools attending the fair, as well as the positions/programs they are recruiting for. Plan and organize your time accordingly.
  3. Register for The Fair In MyCWS. Help increase attendance and promote the event to your classmates by RSVPing on Facebook as well.
  4. Don’t avoid a company because it is unfamiliar.
  5. Approach the tables and pace your visits to tables to be sure you have ample time to visit the employers, and organizations you want to target.
  6. Greet company representatives with a firm handshake, ask pertinent questions, and express interest in opportunities at the company or organization.
  7. Bring extra copies of your resume, to hand to the recruiters.
  8. Collect business cards from every representative you visit.
  9. Write follow-up emails or letters to all representatives you meet with opportunities you are interested in pursuing further.
  10. Look for sign-up sheets at the recruiter tables in the event you are unable to chat with the representative or the representative, for some reason, is not at their table when you visit. Write your name and email address clearly, as the recruiters take these sheets back to their office to follow up.

Additional Resources:

  • Make sure you check out the CWS resume web pages and samples
  • Bring your resume to a drop-in session before The Fair
  • Check out the section on the CWS website about Strategies for Successful Interviewing
  • For juniors and seniors only! Sign up for Boot Camp (on Feb. 4th) & attend the Learning How to Work a Room/Networking 101 and Advanced Interviewing Skills sessions
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