Getting the Most Out of a Career Fair

Alyssa Chaffee

As a Purdue student, you have the opportunity to attend any offered career fair on campus. Purdue hosts a number of career fairs that extend across multitudes of programs in order for students to find the career fair that is best suited for them. To make your career fair experience smooth and successful, we have put together a guide that will walk you through everything you need to do to prepare for, attend, and take next steps after the fair. Whether it is your first career fair or your 15th, you can be confident and ready to get the most out of your experience. 

*Don’t forget about the Just In Time Career Fair hosted by the CCO! The event will take place on April 17, 2024 and will be open to all majors. For more information, please visit myCCO. 

Preparing for a Career Fair

The first step to preparing for a Purdue career fair is going to the CCO Calendar and browsing the career fairs coming up. You can then check myCCO, which will show not only what the fair is, but which majors employers are looking for at the fair and who is allowed to attend. If you need help navigating myCCO, check out our blog here! It is imperative that you check the calendar, myCCO and any attached websites to make sure that you fit under the group allowed to attend the fair, as some events are restricted to certain majors. 

After you have chosen the fair you want to attend, you should next check if there is any required registration process that you need to follow. Some fairs will ask you to register in advance, while others will not, so it is important that you plan ahead of time. Also, you can check the information listed on the calendar for attached links or the host’s department website. There you can see if there are any apps you need to download before the fair as well as if you need to attach your information and resume, as some employers do not accept physical resumes. It is important to note that students should NEVER have to pay for a career fair, so if you are prompted to pay a fee, you have likely clicked on the employer link and need to find the student link. MyCCO only shows the student link, so if you run into this situation, myCCO is the best place to check. After you have followed these instructions, it is recommended to press “attend” on myCCO and that you have uploaded an updated resume to your profile so employers can view your information in advance. 

The next step to mastering the career fair is research and preparation. Our CCO staff recommends that students research employers that will be attending a fair and make a list of top employers, as there might be long lines and limited time while you are at the event. You should also research these employers to find out some basic information so you can be prepared to have the most beneficial conversation possible. Browsing open positions that these employers have listed on myCCO can give you a leg up, as you can discuss this at the fair. Employers are notified of your application through myCCO, and they view your preparation as impressive, especially if you discuss it with them during the fair. Employers also often hold information sessions in the days before the career fair, which can be an excellent time for some individual networking! Make sure to check those out and try to attend the ones for the employers you are interested in. These will be listed on myCCO and the CCO Calendar. 

After you research the employer, it’s time to prepare your elevator pitch, print out your resumes (bring multiple and have a copy on your phone), and check the CCO website for any upcoming career fair workshops. You can also consider making an appointment with a CCO Career Consultant for extra guidance. Asking professionals for advice, or even conversing and comparing pitches with peers, can be a massive step in the right direction for preparing for a career fair. It is recommended by our staff that you have multiple elevator pitches prepared so if something goes differently than expected in the conversation, you don’t feel stuck and unsure of what to say next. Director of Employer Engagement Veronica Rahim describes a good elevator pitch as a “toolbox of thoughts” rather than a memorized script. For further specific advice on elevator pitches or other career fair information, click here for our page on pitches. You can also set up an appointment with a CCO career consultant through BoilerConnect.

After you feel prepared with your elevator pitch and have updated your resume, the last step of preparation is to dress to impress. Professional clothing improves both your impression on the employer and your impression of yourself. If you do not have access to professional clothing, try out the CCO’s Career Closet! More info on the Career Closet can be found here. 

What to Do During a Career Fair

Now that you have taken all the necessary steps to prepare, what comes next? The first step, and sometimes the hardest, is showing up to the career fair. Make sure to bring several copies of your updated resume, your phone (charged and ready to go), and a smiling face! If you want to be extra prepared, you might consider creating a digital business card that has a QR code you can give to employers. 

The nerves that surface at a career fair can be overwhelming, but it can be helpful to think of every career fair as practice. Career fairs are an excellent opportunity for face-to-face networking and a way to practice talking in a professional manner, which you will need to do constantly in the corporate world. Also remember, these employers want to meet you, so make the most of it! They came all this way particularly looking for Purdue students, as Purdue is usually in the top 10 colleges from which employers want to recruit students. Employers also usually bring fun swag items that you can take home, such as pens and t-shirts, creating a physical representation of a memorable occasion (and who doesn’t love free stuff!). 

When at the career fair, make sure to take a deep breath and be confident! During most fairs, you will have classes occurring during part of the time, so you may only have a limited window to attend. Because of this limitation, spend every moment putting your best foot forward. Our staff also recommended coming prepared with a schedule of your availability for the next few days in case employers want to schedule an interview, as they often will schedule interviews on the spot during the career fair. 

The most important advice is that employers want to meet you, so be yourself! You’ve got this. 

After the Career Fair

After you have made that giant leap of attending the career fair, the next step is going to any interviews you may have been offered while at the fair. Most of these interviews will take place the day after the career fair concludes and will be in CCO rooms located on the second floor of Young Hall or in another location specified during the career fair. If the employer was not scheduling interviews on paper during the fair, make sure you stay up-to-date by checking your email or other apps being used by the employer. It is important to be practicing interview prep either with mentors, peers, or by making an appointment with CCO before the career fair even happens. Since the turnaround from career fair to interviews is so quick, you don’t want to have to practice last minute. For last minute interview prep, you can consider using BigInterview, which can be accessed through your myCCO account. 

It is also important to take note of anything the recruiter said at the career fair so you can feel comfortable with your interview and prepared not just to discuss yourself, but also the company. If you did not do research on this company before the fair, it is necessary to do your homework before an interview. For any extra or individual advice on interview prep, feel free to make an appointment with the CCO.

The last step to the career fair process is to be proud of yourself—you did it! Career fairs can be extremely intimidating, and going to one is a massive triumph no matter the result. Also, particularly for the underclassmen out there, remember that employers are often looking for upperclassmen, so don’t feel discouraged if you don’t get an invite your first year—there’s always next semester. It is also important to note that employers often notice repeat attendees, especially if you engage them in conversation. 

You’ve Got This!

Career fairs are scary for everyone, but just remember that you came out as a more knowledgeable and confident person than you walked in, and that is a huge accomplishment! See every moment as a learning opportunity. Hundreds or sometimes thousands of students attend each career fair, so you are not alone. The career fair season can be immensely overwhelming, so make sure that you are talking to your peers and supporting each other. We are all in this together, even though sometimes it can feel isolating or scary. We are all rooting for you, and the CCO hopes that you have an incredible and valuable career fair season.