Why I Prepare For The Career Fair NOW
Knowing how to work a career fair starts with knowing what you want in the room.
“Hey you guys, I just got an email from Joey asking if could borrow a tie for the Career Fair tomorrow. THE CAREER FAIR’S TOMORROW?!”
If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone on campus react like this in September or February, multiplied by the number of people in suit jackets printing off resume copies at Gordon Library the morning of the Career Fair, and raised to the power of the number of people who say, “I don’t even know who’s gonna be here today,” I think I’d be making the WPI average starting salary.
This weekend, do yourselves a favor and look on https://wpi-csm.symplicity.com/students/index.php for the listing of companies attending the WPI Summer Career Fair so far. Simply sign into JobFinder, click the “Events” Tab, and click the 2013 Summer Career Fair lnk. Last time I checked we were at 128 companies and that number only rises for paid internship and full-time opportunities only!
From here, create your Top 10 and Test 5. Your Top 10 List is a comprehensive study of the companies you can see yourself working for this summer or next year. Know their industry, values, competitive advantage, upcoming plans, what unique questions to ask their reps, branch locations, and company expectations from employees. This will save you the disparity of thinking about something to say — we live in a world of information access, so there’s no excuse not to be prepared!
Knowing a quick 30-second introduction to potential employers shows that you're ready and able to build a relationship with them on the spot.
Your next task is to create a Test 5 List — these five companies will be the ones within your field of study but they’re lower on your priority scope. Here you’ll practice your pitch and Career Fair discussions so that when game time comes around with the Top 10 List, you have the confidence and guile to make your resume actually GO somewhere!
These two lists will help you exponentially, both in opportunity and in saving your time inside the Rec Center this February. You’re in and out in a little over an hour, and you’ve got enough contact information from companies to follow up with a good thank you note at the end of the day. Plus, if you rock it out well enough, you might just have time in your schedule to grab some freebees on the way out — no sir, I don’t study Computer Science, but I appreciate your water bottles and frisbees. They’ll come in handy during beach season.
The Career Fair is a chance to not only meet employers but to stand out from the crowd. Be the apple in a crowd of oranges and come prepared — I think you’ll be surprised at what some homework and a little follow-up with companies will do for you! February 14th. SAVE THE DATE.
ALSO! This program is PACKED every year and I can guarantee it will be again this year — be sure to pencil in How to Prepare for the Career Fair, Wednesday, 2/6/2013, 6:00 PM-7:30 PM, Salisbury Laboratories, SL115, with Vistaprint!
For more advice on how to rock a WPI Career Fair, feel free to email me at amoreschi@wpi.edu.
Until next time,
Adam
