7 Tips for making the most of a university careers fair

Msc In Life
Sep 8, 2018 · 4 min read
Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

It’ll soon be Autumn, the season where employers pull out their banners, pitch a table, bring their best swag and try to recruit graduates for their placement years, summer internships and graduate programs.

Attending your University career’s fair can be a socially awkward, slightly clinical experience for many, but there is a reason employers keep returning to them — they work. Employers actually identify talent at careers fairs, so it’s worth your time making the most of your experience.

Know why the employer is there

It may come as a shock to you than employers pay a large sum of money to attend career fairs. Often the higher sum paid, the better position the employer is given in the venue, which is the careers fair version of being the “sponsored” listing on Right Move.

Employers would not pay to exhibit at Careers Fair’s if it was not worth their while, so don’t feel like you’re “intruding” or “an annoyance” by stopping by a table to have a discussion. They are there to sell to you.


Check out Careers Fairs from other departments

In many universities, there are several different careers fairs, all aimed at different subsets of the student population. For example, “Engineering Careers Fair” or “Business Careers Fair”, then perhaps “Final Year / Graduate Fair” vs “Placement Careers Fair”. Do not just attend the one fair you think relates to you, go to different fairs. Most companies are not large enough to have a separate recruitment team covering just Placement Years, so why not go along as a Graduate? You never know who you might meet.

If you’re feeling really sneaky, you could even head to another Universities campus and pop in. Yes, it’s likely you’re trespassing, but why limit yourself to the companies your University happens to have a strategic relationship with? This could be a particularly useful manoeuvre if your University does not have a strong careers department, or fails to attract employers you want to apply for.


Explore Non-University Specific Fairs

Women in Tech? LGBTQ? Ethnic Minority? Or none of the above?

There are many different careers fairs available for all students, some specialising in or targeting niche groups. The benefit of these fairs is that you will meet employers who do not have a strategic relationship with your university. An example of this is Tomorrows Tech Leaders Today , held in Central London, targetted at females keen to enter the technology field.


Go Early

I’ve exhibited at Careers Fairs and trust me, it’s exhausting. The exhibitors are far more energetic when they’re telling you what their company does and what the opportunities available are for the 1st time, not the 60th.

So, head to the fair as soon as it opens and listen to the exhibitors enthusiastically speak with you.


Plan your Visit

You should be able to get a list of the exhibitors ahead of time so you can plan who you want to speak with. Be sure to Google any companies you are not familiar with (there are a lot of very cool companies out there who are not household names) and for companies, you’re keen on, read up on their graduate programs and internships. Not only will you come across as really well prepared for the recruiters, but you can also be smarter with your time and avoid having to ask the dreaded “What does your company do” question.


Get what you need

There are two main reasons to attend a Careers Fair

  1. You want to find out about what employment opportunities are available for students and graduates
  2. You want to make an impression on the companies you’re interested in working for, to increase your chances of getting through the screening and interview process

If number 2 makes you cringe, you need to know, that whilst you might not think it’s cool to do this, there are plenty of potential graduates hires who do.

Companies can receive thousands of applications for a small number of roles and it’s someone’s job to screen these applications. If you’ve made a good impression in person, that company is more likely to prioritize your application, whether that prompts them to take a look at your CV again when they return to the office or ensure you’re top of the phone interview queue.

Lastly, take note of who you were speaking with. There are three types of typical attendees at Careers Fairs. Recruiters, ex-Graduates and Regular Employees / Alumni. By taking note of their name you can make sure you…….


Follow-Up

If you managed to attend the Careers Fair for 30–60minutes and speak with 10+ people, imagine how many people an exhibitor who has been there for the full 4–5hours has spoken with. Even with the best intentions, they have probably forgotten your name, so be sure to remind them.

LinkedIn may not be as popular in your immediate friendship circle as Instagram, but in business, it’s an extremely powerful tool. Follow-up with any key contacts you’ve made within 24hours, sending them a personal note to connect and reminding them of where you met, what you discussed and if there were any actions from either side.

Do you feel more prepared for your Careers Fair’s this term? Let me know!

Msc In Life

Written by

Sharing honest, practical advice and guidance to those graduating or recently graduated uni as they begin their careers. Written by a Brit. No “College” here.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade