The career readiness season has kicked into high gear this month with several workshops and career fairs both industry-wide and industry-focused. Not to mention, soon-to-be graduates are lining up to make their mark for both entry-level and internship positions.  

But getting yourself to these events is only the beginning; preparation is key to a successful career fair and job search experience. In this Q&A, Zoe Eitel, assistant director of operations & outreach with the Career Center will share tips for making the most out of career fairs and share a few resources available to students as they prepare for that big job interview or elevator pitch.  

What advice would you give students on researching companies attending the fair beforehand to ensure they have meaningful conversations?

Check the Handshake event pages for each of the fairs you’re interested in attending for the employers scheduled to attend and make a list of the ones you want to talk to the most. Those are the companies you should be doing extra research on.  

Employers don’t usually remember the interactions with students who just ask them what their company does, so you should go into your conversations with them already knowing that and ask them more specific and memorable questions.

What should students know about the dress code and professional appearance expectations?

While you won’t be turned away if you’re wearing lounge or athletic wear, we recommend casual or business casual dress for attending a fair. Most employers wear jeans and a T-shirt or more business casual clothes.

What are some resources at the Career Center that students can refer to before the career fairs?  

You can make an appointment with a career coach to talk about your resume, your career fair strategy or your elevator pitch. The appointment slots leading up to the fair fill up quickly, so don’t wait. But if you do miss the opportunity to have an appointment, you can visit the Career Fair Prep Lounge that runs during the fairs and have a shorter conversation with a coach on site.  

Another opportunity for students is to make an appointment for a mock interview with a Career Coach or practice their skills virtually with the BigInterview tool provided by the Career Center accessible with their DePaul credentials. We are also hosting a virtual Career Fair Prep Workshop, leading up to the winter career fairs.

What's an effective way to introduce yourself to recruiters in 30 seconds or less?

In your elevator pitch, you should share information about yourself like your name, expected/past graduation year, your major and your goal or career direction. Your elevator pitch should end with a call to action, which in a career fair setting, should be asking questions about their company, their job and how you can get involved with their organization.

How should students handle situations where they're interested in a company but don't meet all the qualifications listed?

It’s quite rare for anyone to fully meet every qualification listed on job posting, especially for a student. It’s up to the applicant’s discretion as to whether they think they fit them well enough to apply. The recruiters at a career fair know they are recruiting current students as well as alumni, so they aren’t expecting a candidate with 7+ years of experience. Also, don’t count out your courses and project work when considering your experience. If a student is still unsure if they’re the right fit for a role, that’s a great thing to talk to the recruiter about.

What's the best way to follow up with recruiters after the career fair?

Remember, recruiters at a fair are talking to dozens of students and alumni in just a few hours. If you don’t want to get stuck in the endless line of faces and names, it’s all about the follow up. If you get a recruiter’s contact information, send them a message via email or on LinkedIn a day or two after the fair. Try to pick out a specific thing you talked to them about to reference back to.  

This is when you can also inquire about the next steps, whether that’s following up about any job opportunities you spoke about, asking about making a connection with someone else at their organization or requesting an informational interview. And don’t forget to thank them for their time.

There are several events coming up both before and after the fairs that students might be interested in, with more still being added to Handshake for the rest of the quarter:

Sports Industry Networking Night: 2/11

Ask an Immigration Attorney: 2/12

Communication Industry Night: 2/25

Virtual Career Exploration Trek: PRAD: 2/27

Film & Animation Industry Night: 3/4 

The Career Library is an additional resource for students, with access to 80+ on-demand resources for students who might have career readiness/development questions.