Career Fair Tips

Adam Cahill is Career Development & Communication Manager with Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. We met him at the department’s construction career fair this past Fall, where he shared best practices for attending any career expo or career fair.

Adam Cahill, Career Development & Communication Manager
College of Food, Agricultural, an Environmental Sciences
Ohio State University

1. Research

One of the big things we always say is you have to do your research before you come to these events. Going up to an employer and saying, “I’d love a job with you but I don’t know what you do,” leaves a really bad impression… So doing that research first is always key, so you can have that intelligent conversation because in the end they are experts in their field… You want to try to make sure that you know as much as possible as well know their competitors know their products know where they’re at. Following them on their social media feeds and keeping up with current events and news is a great way to be prepared.

2. Resume

Have your resume ready to go. These employers are going to want to see that resume. They’re going to go over that with you so they can see your skills and experiences. Make sure you have a well polished resume! Meeting with your career office before hand is a great way to make sure that thesedocuments look well.

3. Presentation

Be sure and present yourself well. Having good posture, having good business attire is always important, because you want to make sure you’re playing the part. The better you look, usually the more confident you feel in that experience so you want to make sure you do have that presentation there as well.

4. Networking

A lot of people don’t remember to get contact information. Get business cards, write down who the people are that you’ve talked to so you can follow up with them. That’s one of the big things that is missed a lot, follow up with a  thank you card or just outreach and say, “I really appreciate you talking with me at the Career Expo.” I love to follow up with you to do a job shadow or something like that. So getting that business contact information is always great.

5. Have fun!

Finally, have fun with it! It is a enjoyable experience. You know you’re there to meet with meet with individuals, with employers – to network, find jobs, and find internships. You’re going to gain some skills just through having the ability to have a conversation with somebody. In the end all we really want is you to have a conversation with employers. And a lot of them are alumni of Ohio State. So the best thing about is that they’ve had the same experiences that you’ve had as well so there’s no need there’s no need to be worried or stressed about it because they’ve lived it and they’ll talk you through it and the experience in the end.

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