✅ Career Fair Checklist - 5 Tips for Success
I’ve been on both sides of the career fair booth by now and I would love to share some of my own tips to shine when you meet with a recruiter (in person/virtual).
- Do your recruiting homework
- Target Specific Companies
- Rehearse your pitch
- Demo your projects
- Followup!
Reviewing these 5 things should give you the confidence to stand out at your next career fair
📚 Recruiting Homework
- Who is attending the career fair?
- What positions are open for my skill set?
- Is my resume specifically tailored for that skill set? (Take notes)
🎯 Target Specific Companies
- Filter specific companies to your skill set
- Prioritize the companies to chat with (there may be long lines)
- Focus in on a specific role per company
🎤 Rehearse your pitch
- Introduce yourself short, sweet, and to the point.
- Identify your strongest projects and experience
- Practice with a friend out loud.
📲 Demo your projects
- Show your app / website / hackathon project (or some video recording) - Bonus points if you’ve integrated their service
- Emphasize buzz words and metics that drove your project
- Highlight some interesting problems that you encountered and how you resolved them
🔄 Followup!
- Give thanks!
- Suggest connecting on LinkedIn / Email AND send a follow up message
- Always apply online
⭐️ Review Dialog
Practice the Dialog below:
“Hi my name is NAME and I’m a X year student at UNIVERSITY studying MAJOR. I heard you’re hiring for POSITION according to your website!”
Recruiter Response
“I’d like to drop off my resume with you and I’d love to quickly demo one of my projects”
Recruiter Response
“I had a question about (recruitment process, company culture, engineering stack)”
Recruiter Response
“Thanks for taking the time to come out to chat today. I’d love to continue the conversation some time - would it be possible to connect with you on LinkedIn?”
Recruiter Response
“Great. Thank you for your time!”
💭 Closing Thoughts
- First impressions are key - the opening pitch sets the tone for the rest of your chat
- Convince the recruiter you’re a strong hire - don’t give us any reason to doubt it (do your homework)
- Confidence - Have faith that you’re qualified to tackle intern/full time work! Show us you’re ready!
🏔 Call to Action
- Rehearse your pitch with a friend. Share this post and invite someone to practice with you!
- Revise your resume. Ask for a critique from a colleague / mentor / professional in the industry.
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👍 If you learned something new or this post helped you in your job search, please consider sharing! Comment below with your recruiting tips! Is there something you wish you knew when you started your job search? 🤔
Alex Takahashi is a software engineer working in San Francisco. He finished his Bachelor’s Degree from UC Berkeley in Bioengineering and eventually found himself becoming a programmer in Silicon Valley. Visit his profile to learn more about his path to become a professional in the tech industry.
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