How to ... succeed at job fairs

Fri 16 Feb 2018

It’s never too early to start thinking about a career. As a university student, you should begin networking and building a resume even during your first year of studies. An important campus event to take part in are the job fairs. Job fairs are a great place to collect information and meet potential employers.

Start networking

The importance of networking cannot be stressed enough. Start by talking to your university career counsellor. They will be able to give you information about upcoming job fairs and maybe even give you specific contacts. Keep track of the information you receive. This will be good start to your networking efforts. Talk to your peers as well and share information and contacts.

Don’t worry if you don’t know what you want to do yet. Use your time at university to figure this out. Take opportunities to intern or volunteer during your holidays and build up work experience. It’s good to know what you are good at doing or enjoy doing, but it is just as good to know what you don’t enjoy doing. You can use this knowledge to look for a job that best fits what you are looking for.

What to do at a job fair

Job fairs are an opportunity where employers can meet potential employees and where you can get information about specific jobs or industries. But don’t underestimate job fairs! You should prepare yourself before attending a job fair. Do some research, dress appropriately and have copies of your resume on hand.

Do some research before you attend a job fair. Most job fairs will have a list of companies that are attending, so make sure to get hold of this list before the event. See what companies will be there and take note of the companies you are interested in meeting or do some research companies you don’t know. If you meet an interesting company or recruiter at the fair, make sure you follow-up with them afterwards.

There will usually be many companies attending a job fair, so prioritize your visit. Visit the companies you are most interested in first and don’t waste time talking to companies you have no interest in. If you are asked to do an interview, this will in most cases be quick, so be prepared to ‘sell’ yourself in a few minutes. You may want to practice this beforehand. But the more interviews you do the more confident you will get.

Rules about working on a student visa

As an international student in the U.S., you will most likely have a F-1 visa. Under this visa, you will not be able to work off-campus during your first year. Because of this, most universities will offer on-campus jobs specifically for international students.

After the first year, it is possible for international students to work off-campus, but these jobs are mostly restricted to training positions and must be related to your studies. Seek advice from your university’s international student affairs office on what off-campus jobs you are eligible for.

Finding out about job fairs near your campus

To see which job or recruitment fairs are happening in or around your campus, contact your student support services who will have all the information you need.