This is your chance to have meaningful engagements with your choice of over 120 employers. All skills, industries, and majors are welcome!
Preparing for a Career Fair
- Review the list of organizations and research those that interest you. The list of participating companies can be found in Handshake.
- Update your resume and have it reviewed.
- Practice your elevator pitch.
- Gather items to take to the Career Fair - such as portfolio with notepad and pen; copies of your resume (more than the numbers of companies you plan to visit); and research notes on the companies.
- Prepare questions to ask employers.
Approaching Employers at a Career Fair
Most interactions will be brief, often 3-4 minutes, but if no one else is in line you could have a longer conversation.
- Greet the Employer
- If there is a line, pay attention to conversations of those ahead of you.
- Establish eye contact, smile, shake hands, and introduce yourself.
- Be confident and upbeat.
- Be ready to have a conversation about the application process.
- Relax and speak slowly.
- Articulate how your interests and qualifications are well-aligned with the organization's needs.
- Take notes about next steps and distribute your resume.
- At the end of the conversation, request a business card and/or contact information.
- Smile and thank the recruiter at the end of your conversation.
Following Up After the Fair
- Take Action.
- Apply for positions of interest through Handshake, the company website, or however you were directed at the fair.
- Send a quick thank you email (within 24 hours) to contacts you met at the fair.
- Refer back to something from your conversation and attach your resume.
- Reiterate your interest in the company and the positions they have available.
- Keep a file of all contacts made with the employer.
- Include dates and application materials sent to them.
Next Day Interviews
- Many organizations will schedule interviews at the career fair.
- If you schedule an interview at the fair, be sure to keep detailed information about the date, time, and location of your interview.
- Get contact information of your interviewer in case you need to contact him/her. Be careful to not double-book yourself.
- Leave enough time between interviews to allow for travel to another interview location or interviews going over the intended time.
Activities to Prepare for the Illini Career & Internship Fair
Schedule a Mock Interview
- Mock interviews will help you present yourself, your experience, and your skills in the best light.
- Get one-on-one training on how to answer tough interview questions and how to prepare your own questions.
- Practice your mock interview as a phone interview, in-person interview, or virtual interview
- Schedule online
Attend a career fair prep workshop
- The Career Center offers many workshops prior to the fair to help you get ready
- Visit our website for more info