Since my first year I've always enjoyed going to career fairs at RIT. Finding a co-op or full-time job is generally the main reason people attend but there are many other reasons such as networking and practicing your elevator speech. Employers from multiple industries and scores of companies will be descending on RIT this week and it's a great opportunity to meet with them and advance your career. Here are some of my tips for prepping for the career fair:
- Use the Career Fair Plus app: download the Career Fair Plus application for your iPhone or Android phone and have the career fair guide and map in your pocket. The app gives you the ability to search for and filter companies and will let you access company information on the fly.
- Make a list of companies to visit: don't show up unsure where to go. Visit Job Zone and create a list of the companies you want to visit. On Job Zone you can perform advanced searches to narrow companies down by what academic programs they're seeking, citizenship requirements, and what types of positions that they are hiring for.
- Bring a pen: avoid being that person who needs to ask for a pen. Sure, some companies may give them out but save yourself the trouble in advance and be prepared.
- Attend Interest Sessions: in addition to the career fair some companies will hold interest sessions or table sits around campus. These are chances to get some personal one-on-one time with a recruiter in what it is usually a less stressful environment. You'll likely be able to talk for a longer amount of time and have a more detailed conversation.
- Get your resume reviewed: all of this week from 9:30 am to 11:30 am and Tuesday and Thursday 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm you can get your resume reviewed by the Office of Co-op and Career Services (Bausch and Lomb Center, first floor).
- Utilize Student Government's free resume printing service: upload your resume at https://resumes.rit.edu and stop by the SG office to pick up 10 b&w copies
- Plan out your route: the Office of Co-op and Career Services posts the map of the career fair floor setup. Check it out and plan out the order that you want to visit companies in so that you know exactly where you want to go and avoid wasting valuable time trying to find booths.
- Update your LinkedIn: make sure your LinkedIn is current and that there aren't any inconsistencies with your profile and your resume.
- Make sure your work is online: if you can put example of your work online on a relevant website (e.g. GitHub or Behance) and make sure that those URLs are on your LinkedIn profile and resume.
- Track jobs and companies: make a spreadsheet to track information about companies and jobs. After the career fair ends, consolidate your notes and make sure you have all of the jobs and companies that you are interested in recorded with information such as application deadlines, application means (online url, address, etc.), the name of the position, and the names of any employees you spoke with.
- Manage your connections: after the fair follow up with the individuals you met and make sure to keep in contact whether it be on LinkedIn, via email, or on social media.
- Follow the Career Fair on Twitter @RITCareers and tweet with #RITCF