College Career Fairs Tips & Resources

Updated on April 12, 2023

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College Students Resume Tips, Interview Advice & What to Expect

Career fairs are a staple event at most college campuses. They are designed to present students with the opportunity to flex their professional muscles and meet with prospective employers while still in school to prepare for a career after college. For the busy college student, these events also help them cover more ground and meet with numerous organizations in a short timeframe. While every university has their own method for pulling off a successful career fair, data by the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows that they’re a highly successful and desired part of campus life: There’s been a sustained increase of employer and student attendance in recent years. Students looking to learn more about career fairs and the benefits they offer and how to stand out among the crowd can find all this information and more in the following guide.

5 Ws of College Career Fairs

1. Where Are Career Fairs Held?

2. Why Attend a Career Fair?

3. What Can I Expect at a College Career Fair?

4. When Should I Start Attending

5. What Not to Expect from a Career Fair

Bonus: How to Stand Out

Plotting Your College Career Fair Course

Get Prepared

Find a list of companies attending the career fair and get to work researching what they do and the type of people they hire. Create a list of thoughtful, insightful questions, craft an elevator pitch that’s individualized to their needs, and create a few different versions of resumes for different types of positions.

Do Reconnaissance

Scope out where different companies are located and what information they have available.

Stalk the perimeter of the space and decide the order in which you want to speak to each company before walking nearer each table to learn which positions are available.

Warm Up

Career fair attendees likely each have their own method for deciding whom to speak to first, but a general rule is to build up to the companies at the top of your list by speaking to other recruiters first.

Allowing yourself to dispel any nerves and settle in to the process will help boost confidence levels when it comes time to speak to the company youre most interested in.

Strike Up a Conversation

In addition to meeting with recruiting managers and other employees of the company, it’s worthwhile to talk to other attendees while standing in line to get a sense of who they’ve seen and what their initial impressions are. You may get some candid insight into the participating companies.

This step can also help you avoid companies that may not offer what youre looking for, which could save you some valuable time as you navigate the event.

Dress for Success

As with other job interviews, recruiters expect students attending college career fairs to dress for the job they hope to have.

The most widely accepted style of dress for these occasions is business casual. Students should also ensure they have a pair of professional-looking shoes and a briefcase or satchel.

Bring a Few Key Items

Most hiring managers suggest bringing the following:

At least 10 copies of your resume, Letters of recommendation and copies, A list of references, Portfolio, if applicable, Other supporting documentation as required for your field (copies of certifications, etc.), Personal business cards are also acceptable, but those from a current employer should not be used.

Know What Not to Bring

If youre coming from class, its best to stop by your dormitory or apartment, if possible, and drop off bulky backpacks in favor of a briefcase, purse, or satchel. Refrain from bringing any food or drinks (aside from water) into the career fair. While its okay to walk to the fair with friends, its best not to bring them with you to individual tables. Recruiters want the opportunity to speak to candidates one-on-one rather than in groups.

Follow Up

Once the fair is over and the recruiters have packed their materials, plan to check in via email or regular mail to thank them for their time and remind them of the interaction and some of your key qualifications. While it’s not required, students who take the extra time to do this step will instantly rise above the competition.

Resume Tips for College Students

Stick to the Rules

Do Your Research

Create Multiple Versions of Your Resume

Direct Resume Readers to Your Personal Website

Provide Resume Backup

Interview Tips

Even seasoned professionals agree that the interview phase of any recruitment opportunity can be nerve-wracking, but it’s especially true for new grads. Rather than letting worries get the best of them, students can do themselves many favors simply by being prepared when they reach the career fair.

General Interview Advice

Dress for success.
Jeans and a t-shirt may be the norm for everyday campus activities, but it’s well worth a student’s time to put a bit more thought into their outfit on the day of a career fair. Remember that this is a recruiter’s opportunity to envisage you at their organization, and a sloppy or informal appearance probably isn’t aligned to their company culture. The University of Texas at Austin has an informative guide on different levels of business attire.
Get organized.
Whether that means creating your resume, updating an existing version, printing copies, or purchasing a professional-looking briefcase or handbag, make sure you’ve got everything prepared to ensure you come across as an organized, capable candidate. Most hiring coaches suggest students keep it simple when it comes to what they should bring to a career fair, with the majority saying they should only bring resumes and supporting documents.
Make the first impression count.
When it comes to how a student should present themselves at an interview, the VP for Personal & Career Development at Wake Forest University says students should focus on four things: demeanor, enthusiasm, humble self-confidence, and personality. Things like strong eye contact, firm handshakes, warming smiles, and professional body language help communicate to recruiters your readiness for the workplace.

Areas of Focus

Perfecting the elevator pitch.
For the uninitiated, an elevator pitch refers to a one to two-minute capsule of information that helps recruiters and hiring managers quickly get a sense of who you are and what you bring to the table. With the premise that you should be able to give your pitch in the time it takes to ride an elevator with someone, these quick speeches should include unique information about your hard and soft skills. Some of the topics an elevator pitch should touch on include education; volunteer, intern, or employee experience; specific skills and areas of expertise; and an explanation of goals.
Review common interview questions.
You can pretty much assume that at some point in an interview, the hiring manager will ask questions about your strengths and weaknesses, how you handled a challenging situation, what you bring to the table, and why you want a particular job. Having thoughtful, seamless answers to these questions helps students from being caught out and seeming unprepared.
Make a lasting impression.
As a recruiting manager begins packing their station up at the end of a career fair, what can you do to be one of the candidates they think about while reviewing the day? With dozens of candidates all hoping to be memorable, finding a unique angle that sticks in the mind of the business representative is a tall order, but it can be done. Forbes reminds prospective employees of how important it is to research companies before every meeting face-to-face. Asking insightful, information-driven questions helps hiring managers know you’ve done your homework, while offering up knowledgeable answer about what you could bring to a specific role help them see how much value you would add to the company.

The Inside Scoop on Getting Hired

One of the most common questions students have about career fairs pertains to the type of employers who participate. Campus-sponsored job fairs typically run the gamut in terms of industry and organizational type – including for profits, nonprofits, and government agencies. With both local and national organizations typically in attendance, students have the opportunity to learn about options in their backyard and those across the country – or in some cases, the world.

The majority of roles are entry-level in nature, although those on offer at a graduate-level career fair may be more advanced. Recruiters are typically looking for bright eyed students who are knowledgeable, hard-working, and demonstrate an interest in staying with the company at least a couple years. Internships and fellowships are also frequently found on offer at college career fairs and provide students a chance to get their foot in the door while still in school. Many of these opportunities – especially ones providing compensation – are highly competitive at top companies.

Avoid errors
One of the first ways a hiring manager gets to know candidates is through their resumes, especially if they apply online. One way to immediately make them lose interest is to provide a document that has grammatical errors. If you can’t manage to provide an errorless resume, why should companies have faith that you can do the job at hand? Read over it multiple times and also have a friend or colleague review it.
Be flexible
Especially for students or recent graduates, being willing to relocate, take on extra responsibility, travel, or work untraditional hours lets hiring managers know that students are passionate about the role they are applying for and willing to go the extra mile to be a good employee.
Be informed
This point really can’t be stressed enough, but it’s vitally important to hiring managers to see that candidates took initiative to learn about the company before interviewing with them. While knowing basic facts about the organization is a good place to start, candidates who use their research to drop knowledgeable ideas into conversation or discuss how they would be a great employee based on their skills and the company’s needs will be true standouts in the hiring process.
Be realistic
While a lot of students may already have the next few steps of their career planned out, it’s important to be realistic about where they are in life and what they bring to the table. Although it may feel like an entry-level role isn’t utilizing talents as well as it could, everyone has to start from somewhere. Being realistic about jobs fit to the experience level of a recent graduate will likely help land a job sooner in the long run as students aren’t wasting their time applying for roles for which they aren’t suited.

With ever increasing use of technology and digital devices, it’s no wonder that virtual career fairs are becoming increasingly popular. While the same premise applies – candidates learn about different companies, meet recruiters, shares resumes and complete an interview – all of it takes place from the comfort of the applicant’s home.

Virtual job fairs are popular with tech-savvy Millennials seeking an employer that’s future-focused, but also with military veterans seeking a career change. In fact, more than 100,000 veterans have been hired via virtual career fairs since 2011, and close to one million have attended an online job fair. This hiring platform appeals to both recruiters and veteran applicants by not only opening the doors to far greater options, but also tapping into the specialized skills developed during military training and applying them to the workforce.

9 Virtual Career Fair Resources

Ability Links
Ability Links focuses on providing national-level virtual careers fairs that connect individuals with disabilities to inclusive employers in a range of industries. Example of hiring organizations using Ability Links include:
Martin Brower
Focused on supply chain provision for quick serve restaurants across the world, Martin Brower has been in operation for more than 60 years and employs individuals from all levels of education and experience levels through an inclusive hiring process.
Presence Health
Operating primarily in the Midwest, this Catholic hospital network regularly uses virtual career fairs to find the best talent for roles in hospitals, family care facilities, retirement programs, behavioral health services, and post-surgery care.
Career Eco
With a focus on creating a new career ecosystem, this organization harnesses the power of the internet to bring together qualified job seekers and hundreds of recruiting organizations in a spectrum of professional fields. Examples of hiring organizations using Career Eco include:
Office Depot
Operating in more than 60 countries worldwide, a recent virtual fair saw the company seeking students with bachelor’s, master’s, or MBA degrees in areas of business, engineering, liberal arts, computer science, or commerce for both full and part-time roles.
National Institutes of Health
Operating as part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, NIH is a preeminent agency working toward disease prevention, treatment, and research. According to its profile, the agency is seeking students of all postsecondary levels in all majors for internships, fellowships, and full-time roles.
Veteran Recruiting Services
The preeminent virtual career fair provider for former members of our nation’s military, Veteran Recruiting has partnerships with hundreds of national and international companies and agencies, ranging from the Transportation Security Agency and Pfizer to Apple and Verizon. Other hiring organizations using VRS include:
Aetna
A pro-military hiring company, Aetna has a specialized department for hiring veterans and military spouses for a range of healthcare-related roles throughout America.
Penske
Recognizing the value of tapping into veterans’ extensive knowledge of transportation and logistics, Penske is also a featured hiring organization at VRS. Positions available range from those based on the road to those in offices.

University Virtual Job Fairs

In addition to hosting companies and recruiters on campus, lots of universities are also starting to expand their virtual career options, and that includes online fairs. Whether organized specifically by degree programs or across all majors, students should check with their career services department to find out what is available. Examples include:

American Military University

Wright State University

Expert Advice on College Career Fairs: Interview with Kevin N. Ladd

Kevin N. Ladd

Kevin N Ladd, chief operating officer and vice president of Scholarships.com, offers expert advice on navigating college career fairs.

Why should a student attend a career fair?

College career fairs are a great opportunity for students to inquire and learn about a number of careers efficiently. With lots of organizations in one venue, a student can gather a lot of information, gauge interest in both directions (between themselves and a handful of organizations), and meet face-to-face with a hiring manager. This exercise is particularly valuable to a personable student whose conversational skills would be lost in a simple email or perhaps not fully realized during a phone conversation.

How can they best prepare for this type of event?

It never hurts to be prepared for a career fair and it is easy enough to do simply by visiting the website of organizations and companies in which the student is interested and gaining a bit of basic knowledge about their size, areas of work, and expectations for employees.

What are things that students should and should not expect when attending a career fair?

Don’t expect organizations to know who you are and what interests you. They may try to draw it out of you if there is a spark of interest, but don’t be shy. Tell them a bit about yourself, your experiences, and what you can bring to a position. y. Ask lots of questions, but not just the kind you can easily find on a website. Try to make the most of the opportunity.

College Career Fair Resources

College Fair Myths for Freshmen and Sophomores
Northeastern University provides this handy list of common myths younger college students may have about career fairs.
How to Get the Most Out of Career Fairs
The University of California Berkeley offers this extensive list to help students learn how to go into their first career fair strong.
Job Fair Etiquette
St. John’s University offers a handy guide on how students can properly present themselves before, during, and after a career fair.
National Career Fairs Calendar
Students and recent graduates can find the dates and locations of hundreds of career fairs throughout the country.