Politicians do it. So did Julia Roberts as a prostitute in the movie "Pretty Woman". What am I talking about? "Working it" and no where in the job search process do you have a chance to work a room like a street corner--selling yourself to your prospective employers, taking charge of an interaction so that you walk away leaving an impression and starting to build the sort of relationship it takes to get a job. Half the work at a career fair happens before you even set foot in the door. The key to working a career fair is preparation. Step 1: Do Your Research Research takes two steps: knowing yourself and knowing the companies. You need to know what sort of job you are looking for. You need to know what companies are going to be there. And you need to know a lot about those companies. What sort of job are you looking for? A full-time job? A co-op? A summer internship? When are you available? Where would you like to work? These are the questions you are going to be asked. A note on location preferences: For a small company, most jobs will be in the town the company is located in. Find this out in advance, and if they ask what areas you are interested in make sure their area is one of your top two choices. At this point you're playing a numbers game--go with the location that is most likely to have a lot of openings. For a larger company, it's OK to not have a preference for location, but a lot of times these companies will send resumes to specific sites based on your preference--so if you don't have one, ask about what the different sites are like and get a preference so that your resume doesn't disappear into a black hole. My other piece of advice for larger companies is that less desirable places to live are often easier to get positions at. This is especially good for co-ops or internships--remember you're not committing for life. You also need to know what kind of job you are interested in. See the section on types of jobs to get an idea of what would work for you and what you might be qualified for. The MOST IMPORTANT PART of a career fair is knowing what companies are going to be there and doing your research on them. Get a list of the companies attending from the fair organizers as soon as possible. Use the list to develop a target list of companies to talk to. Websites are a great resource, as are college career centers. (See our section on researching companies.) Look at a companies job-listings on their website to see what sort of skills they need. You're trying to find out whether the company will consider hiring you or not. Do you match their needs? Once you've found a company you are a match for, ask yourself whether they match your needs and wants. Notice that needs and wants are two different things--your needs are the baseline for your job search--and could be as simple as "I need a job." Your wants include whether you'd enjoy the job, where the job is, and whether you can learn what you want in the job. If the company is a good match, put them on your target list. What constitutes a good a match is up to you--as long as you meet the company's needs and they meet at least your baseline needs. If a company matches your job needs, but not your lifestyle wants, you probably should talk to them anyway--it depends on how picky you can afford to be. Take notes--this comes in handy in the next step, which is to research your target list. What you're doing here is getting ready to talk to the companies at the fair. You'll want to know what a company does and where it is. Read a companies press releases or recent announcements on their website. Press releases are my favorite "trick" for connecting with a company. It makes it sound like you are well informed about the industry, like you've done your research, and it gives you something to get excited about--press releases are usually about cool things. Let this enthusiasm infect your talk--and all of a sudden you're enthusiastic & informed about the company you want to work for--a killer combination. In addition any questions you come up with are a great way to get the company rep to start talking about what they do--and it makes you seem well-informed and interested. Just make sure you don't ask questions that should be obviously answered in your research, like "where are you located?" General technical questions are great if you end up talking to an engineer. Make notes to take to the fair with you. So what actually goes on at a career fair? Everyone will be collecting resumes. Some will just go "into the database"--if your resume goes "into the database" you'll get a postcard letting you know that they got it, but other than that it's pretty much a black hole. Other companies will use resumes to generate a list of who they want to interview at a later date--you might get a call in 3 months, out of the blue. They'll probably also make notes on your resume. Some companies will be signing people up for interviews the next day or week. It's good to figure out who these companies are and talk to them first, before their schedules fill up. Occasionally companies will do screening interviews in their booth--it doesn't happen all that often, but don't be surprised if it does. Take it in stride. If you've done your research, you'll be better prepared when it happens. Occasionally companies will invite you for a site visit on the spot. That's actually how I ended up interviewing with IBM. Who is in the booth Human resources types Engineers Recent college hires Hiring Managers What to wear, etc. Suit Comfortable shoes No backpacks/bags Breath mints Make plenty of resumes Carry resumes in a folder or portfolio At the Fair Go it alone Get there early recruiters get tired interview slots fill up Get a map Case the joint Who is busy? Why are they busy? Who wasn't on your target list that you should talk to At the Fair, continued Do a warm-up or two first Talk to your "most-desirables" early Trade information with your peers Do another walk-through Talk to anyone you've missed (or anyone who grabs you) Pick up cool giveaways Approach the Booth Check the notes you made be ready to say what you're interested in be ready to make references to what they do review notes on recent news review questions to ask them Scope out the booth How busy is it What types of people seem to be there Who do you want to talk to Make a Good First Impression smile firm handshake enunciate your name Take Conversational Initiative Use your research! You do "X" and it's cool/I'm interested recent news reference I'm looking for ______ Have a resume handy Point to specifics on resume to demonstrate how you're a good match Establish a Relationship Ask questions How do you like working for X? How long have you been there? What do you do? Technical questions Get a card Find out the process When will they be on campus? What happens next? If the Booth is Busy Listen and learn Let them know they don't have to repeat themselves again Don't be pushy Figure out who you should talk to How to work a Career Fair Types of career fairs : at school, at other schools, industry sponsored career fairs, career fairs for one company, career fairs for summer interns (at places like IBM) What happens at a career fair: companies promote themselves and their positions you get lots of cheap goodies--coozies, pens companies collect resumes companies sign people up for interviews (usually in the next day or two) companies do pre-screening interviews (to decide whether they want to talk to yo u or bring you on site) What to wear How to prepare: -get a list of companies before you go decide who you *really* want to talk to (A list, B list) do a little bit of research so you know what kind of jobs they have available, and so you can chat about their recent announcements/innovations -make lots of copies of your resume When to go first thing in the morning--fewer people, fresher recruiters, more interview slo ts -get a map as soon as you get there, highlight those places you want to visit -do a quick recon trip around the room (note who looks busiest, who didn't show up, etc.) Hit it! -talk to someone you're not that interested in first (warm-up time) -talk to people who look busiest first (or who you think will get busiest) -talk to your A-list companies first--it takes a lot longer than you think, and you want to be fresh What to do at a career fair: ask questions about what a company is like and what sort of positions they have available For instance, if you're interested in their Latin America Sales Division and the person you're talking to is an Engineer, ask him if they have the type of position you're interested in. he or she probably won't know, but will offer to find out or pass your resume on to the appropriate person. Ask for a card and follow-up the next day or two. What type of work? (Co-op/Intern) Be willing to do grunge work You're looking for resume enhancers--not necessarily your dream job look for something you can build on for a future co-op or full-time job What type of work? What industries are you interested in? Process, Design, Verification, Sales, etc. (these are all engineering!) How much customer interaction? How much travel?