By: Ngai Yeung ‘23

An odd and extensive game of corporate speed dating, USC’s semesterly career fairs have always been one of the biggest events on campus. But as all events were moved online this spring, the school continued to host a virtual career fair as well as a smaller, separate one for the Asia Pacific region on April 23rd PDT, the latter of which I attended; here are my takeaways from this novel experience.

By: Joy Ofodu ‘18

The Career Fair can be a dark event for many: apprehension over resume bullet points, elevator pitches and career conversations reigns high as Trojans fall in line with their peers to pursue their futures. The light to shine through all of this darkness? The amazing outfits donned by the young professionals of ‘SC!

By: Jamie Wu ‘18

1. Follow up with the recruiters you talked to.

During the career fair, hundreds of students line up to talk to recruiters and hand over their resumes. During the 5 minutes of interaction that you have with the recruiter, it’s most likely that he or she will not remember your face and resume. It’s nothing against you but due to the sheer number of applicants, it’s hard for them to remember everyone. That is why it is just as important to follow up with an email that includes: one interesting thing you talked about with the recruiter and a thank you note to them for taking the time to come to the career fair. You want to send the email on the day of the career fair or the next day at the latest. When you do this, you set yourself apart from the other applicants who don’t send an email at all. And trust me, after being on the employer side of recruiting, this act really will make a difference.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

Career fair networking is different than an interview; it’s more like speed dating. Instead of a half an hour or hour for a typical interview, you have two minutes to break the ice and determine if you are interested in the company and if the company recruiter is interested in you. Luckily, company recruiters (who do this for a living) are friendly and genuinely want to get to know you. They’re not going to make hiring decisions on the spot, but leaving a lasting impression will help pave the way for later hiring interviews.