Career Services experts dish on navigating a career fair

Navigating a career fair can be stressful. What should you wear? What should you say? Why did you eat that garlic bread at lunch?

Relax; the experts from Arizona State University’s Career Services have you covered with these simple tips that will help you land an interview with your dream company.

Prepare by researching the attending organizations. Visit their website and official social media accounts. Learn what their mission statement is and how you best fit in with it.

Market yourself. You generally only have a few minutes with a company so you want to be memorable. Come prepared to introduce yourself to employers by briefly highlighting your education, previous relevant experience and why you are interested in working for their organization.

Cover your mediums. Set up a professional voicemail message and remove any inappropriate content on your social media accounts. Remember, if your mother wouldn’t be pleased by it, neither would a company who searches for you.



Dress professionally. Men should wear a nice button down with a tie and slacks. Ladies should be clad in dress pants and a blazer. Yes, you have to iron.

Make eye contact and introduce yourself. Speak in a clear voice and shake hands with the recruiters you meet.

Bring many copies of resumes. Keep these in a portfolio along with a few examples of your work.

Ask questions. What does the employer look for in a candidate? What are some of the responsibilities for the role you are looking to fill? These will help you get a better understanding of the organization.  


Send typo-free thank you notes. Ask for business cards so you can send a email with a personalized message about the conversation you had so they remember you.

You can put these tips into action at the Collegiate Job and Internship Fair from 1 to 4:30 p.m., Feb. 13, in the Memorial Union at the Tempe campus.

In the meantime, visit the Career Services workshop calendar to learn about upcoming workshops that will help you write a winning resume and make a great impression at the Collegiate Job and Internship fair on Feb. 13.