Just because a career fair is held at your university, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have a home court advantage. Today, we bring you tips and tricks for catching a talent team member’s eye and standing out from your competition, er, peers.
Print your resume
Yes, it’s the digital age. But old fashioned resumes haven’t gone out of style. Your resume is the one give-away talent ambassadors can hold onto and refer to – and trust me, we do.
Before you go: know
Check out which companies are going to be at the fair, and research their mission statement, open positions, and culture. Being able to say, “Oh, I saw you were hiring an Engineering Intern!” is much more impressive than saying, “So, what does Nitro do?”
Practice your handshake
Sounds silly, right? But a bad handshake will be remembered with a cringe. Ask your roommate or a friend to shake your hand and offer a critique – then keep practicing. Practice makes perfect!
Be yourself – your best self
Show up bright eyed and bushy-tailed (even if you’re hung over and stressed about your term paper), and demonstrate enthusiasm in the company. You’ll get more interest with a bit of humanity than with a robotic nature. Talent ambassadors are people just like you, and they respond positively to making a personal connection with you, especially when you seem interested in the company and the people representing it.
Follow up
Send a personalized, follow up email to the talent team member you chatted with. Reference the conversation you had (ie: Hi! This is Sarah, the student you spoke with who was also from Boston, like you!) to really help you stand out.
Hey, it’s okay…
…to end the conversation politely if you’re clearly not a fit for a company (maybe they don’t have roles for you, or culturally you just feel wrong). Simply smile, thank the representative you were talking to, and move to the next table. No harm, no foul.
Pro Tip: Going the extra mile by commenting on something specific, like one of the company’s blog posts or Facebook updates, tends to woo talent ambassadors.
Nitro’s Talent Team will be at the following career fairs, looking to meet candidates for open, paid summer intern positions:
San Francisco State University: April 4, 2014
Santa Clara University: April 9, 2014
UC Davis: April 17, 2014
