Spring Career Fair Tips!

By Grace Carballo ‘17

In the fall, I went to my first career fair at USC, and was not entirely sure what to expect, although the Career Center does offer some incredible tips.

If today’s Career Fair is your first, it can be a little stressful, but my hope is that, if you know what to expect, today will go so much more smoothly. Just follow these five steps, and you’ll be good to go!

1) “Dress For the Job You Want”

It’s important to look nice, but it’s more important to feel comfortable. You will be standing for a long time and probably waiting in a long line of students. It’s probably going to get hot and the last thing you want is to be physically uncomfortable while making your first impression on the recruiter. 

“Professional attire” could be a business suit, a dress shirt and tie, a conservative dress or skirt - you have options. Just wear nice shoes that don’t give you blisters!

2) Know What You’re Looking For

Last time I checked, over 160 potential employers are attending the Spring Career Fair. That’s all well and good but I have a hard time choosing an entree at a restaurant. I know myself and in situations like these, I do best when I am well prepared and know exactly what I’m looking for. For the same reason, I often look at online menus before I even get to the restaurant. Know your strengths (and weaknesses)!

First, Log in to connectSC, click on the events tab, then click on Spring 2017 Career Fair and RSVP to see a list of employers who will be attending.

As you may have noticed, the tables at the Career Fair are arranged alphabetically with As closest to Exposition Boulevard (the road you cross on Game Day) and Zs closest to West 34th Street (closest to all the new construction that makes you late to class sometimes). 

Note which organizations you are interested in and seek them out. connectSC even conveniently lets you add ten organizations to your Top 10 for closer consideration. 

Pro-tip: You can sort the organizations by doing an “Advanced Search” and selecting the Type of Position you are looking for. As a senior, I’m interested in Full-Time positions, but many students are looking for internships at the fair and should narrow their searches to specify that.

3) Be Prepared

Bring a folder or similar with printed copies of your resumé and perhaps the list of organizations you are looking to interact with. You’ll probably be getting a handful of business cards and company information throughout the Fair, so having a folder or binder is really important to store this.

As I mentioned, you may be waiting in line for longer than you might want to. Bring a bottle of water and some mints you can access while waiting in line but set down/aside when actually interacting with someone from the organization. 

You may even want to bring some notes about the organizations to read over while you wait in line, but be sure to put away before you get to the front. And definitely don’t accidentally give them the notes instead of your resumé

4) First Impressions

First impressions are so important. Even though there is probably so much more to you than meets the eye, the fact of the matter is that the recruiters and representatives of the organizations today will never get to know you if they don’t get a good first impression.

Be confident! Introduce yourself and use your prior preparation/research to explain why you are the perfect fit for their team and for the position they are looking to fill.

You won’t have a lot of time- there will be people waiting behind you- but use the time you have to really stand out. The reps will be super impressed if you know information about their organization/company, and even more so if you have a well-thought out question.

At the fall career fair, I mentioned how well my interests aligned with the organization’s mission and you should’ve seen their eyes light up. It was magical. I walked away feeling like a queen.

The Career Center has resources to help you develop this “elevator pitch.”

5) Follow Up

You’ve given them your resume, you’ve shaken their hands (hopefully with not super sweaty palms), you’ve delivered your pitch, now what?

Remember these people are meeting hundreds of students a lot like you- well-dressed, nervous, qualified- and they can all blend together. 

If you want to really stand out, actually follow up with them. If you have someone’s card, e-mail them tonight! (or tomorrow). Thank them for coming, mention something specific you talked about, and conclude with something along the lines of “I really look forward to hearing from you and hopefully working together in the future.” 

No one likes getting a form e-mail, just like no one likes getting a mass text or snapchat. So make it personal, be real, and be appreciative. These folks took four hours of their days to meet with you.

Bonus suggestion-

This morning one of my friends and housemates remarked that her LinkedIn profile photo is from high school, when she was probably 7 years younger and her hair was a different color. If you find yourself in a similar situation, it’s time to take a new professional headshot!

Lucky for you, this is a free possibility today at the career fair. The booth will be open the duration of the fair (10 - 2) and I’m sure the lines will be just as long. They definitely were at the fall career fair.

Get in line at the tent in front of Tommy Trojan and use your time waiting to practice your smile.

Best of luck to all of you attending the Spring Career Fair. I’m sure if you are prepared and go into it with a patient, positive attitude and well-defined organizations of interest, you will be tremendously successful! 

Fight on and find employment,

Grace Carballo ‘17

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