It's that time of year: career fairs are coming. Preparing for a career fair is somewhat like practicing and rehearsing for a musical performance. Practice doesn't make perfect, only perfect practice makes perfect. I, however, think perfection is overrated.
I've worked with students for 20+ years now and some advice is universal, regardless of major.
Being nervous isn't a bad thing. Being nervous shows you care about what you are doing, to the point of being a bit worried about making a good impression.
Have an elevator speech ready and practice it on others. Things I've suggested you include are: your name, your current academic level (sophomore or 2nd year), graduation date, and what type of position you are seeking. If the person you are speaking to doesn't jump in, you should have some "color" to add to your pitch: "I just finished systems," "I have been working with Dr. XYZ on project ABC to research ...." or "I interned with ABC Company last summer and something I worked on is now in production." The important thing is to be remembered for something good. Recruiters often leave a career fair with a stack of resumes an inch high. You want to be remembered for the right reasons. You don't want to be the student who walks up to a recruiter, removes the sucker from his mouth, and says "Sooo, what do you do?" True story.
Take a look at the companies coming to the career fair. Research them and make a list of the ones you want to talk to, but keep in mind that you might not have a chance to get to all of them. Some companies have a long line. Is it worth spending your entire career fair in a line to talk to one company? That's up to you, but I do encourage you to be flexible. One of our grads admitted that there was one particular company he wanted to work for and got in line to speak to a recruiter. That line snaked through the fair and wound by other companies. A recruiter at one of those booths started a conversation with him. He admitted he had never heard of their company and had no clue what they did. They had a good conversation and set up an interview for later in the week. He ended up at that company and is still there, several years later.
Have someone review your resume and consider having different versions of it Have someone else review your resume. It could be your advisor or someone in your Career Services office. If you have the opportunity to have someone in your industry review your resume, take it. They can tell you specifically what they would look for and what draws their eye on a resume. Consider making different versions of your resume that emphasize different things.
Take plenty of paper copies of your resume However many copies you think you need, double it. Many recruiters will take a paper copy of your resume and flip it over, making notes as they speak with you. Being remembered for a good reason will help you and your resume rise to the top of the stack.
Yes, you may have to apply online Students think recruiters are blowing them off when they tell them to apply online. As I've heard many recruiters explain, applicants may have to submit an online application to be considered. Once you're in their system, recruiters can access your information and pull what is needed for further consideration.
Don't insult a company If you don't like a company and/or its products, you really don't need to make a point of letting their recruiter know that. Yes, students have done this. A student made a point of telling a company that they didn't like their business model because it released buggy software which caused headaches for users. He was memorable, but for the wrong reason. And about that....
The best recruiters I know have long memories Good recruiters remember students from semester to semester, year to year. One recruiter remembered students from one year to the next so he could make an offer in the future. You most likely won't stay with one company for 30 years and neither may the recruiters. Again, be memorable for a good reason.
Keep in mind who you are talking to You might be talking to a person in the industry or you might be talking to a Human Resources representative. Be able to talk about what you do in terms that anyone can understand. It's the rare job that doesn't require you to interact with other people. Being able to talk about technical concepts in a way that the average person can understand is a great skill to develop.
Don't ghost a recruiter If you're a college student (or even a seasoned employee), you may not always know how to talk to someone about interviews and job offers. If someone is contacting you for a professional opportunity, you owe it to them to respond in a timely fashion. If you are juggling multiple offers and interviews, say so. If they are contacting you, they are interested in you and you should respond. If you are no longer interested, tell them so, and they can move on to another candidate. If you do everything in a professional way, you won't burn any bridges. If you don't know how to have a particular conversation, consult someone in your Career Services office for advice.
Go to career fairs early and often Companies are competing for talent. You may think you are "just a freshman" or you "only have completed a course or two." For computer science students, companies will want to talk to you, interview you, and might make you an offer. I've seen first semester freshmen, 4 weeks into their first semester, get an internship for the summer of the next year. Even if you don't get an offer or an interview, you gain experience in speaking to recruiters and networking.
Keep trying Does this process ever get any easier? No, but you can try to be as prepared as possible. And remember, nerves can be a good thing.
