Registration for the Boston College Career Fair opens to all students on February 7th. As you think about how to prepare, you might be asking yourself: how can I make the most of my experience?
Six seasoned recruiters that have participated in Boston College’s career fairs shared their insights on how to put your best foot forward.
What’s your best tip/advice for students on how best to prepare for speaking with you during the fair?
“Create a “game plan / strategy” before the Career Fair. Do some background research – who is the company, what do they do, do they have jobs posted that I might be interested in? Understand why you want to talk to them – are you looking to apply & secure an interview? Or what information are you looking for? Be prepared!” – Oracle America
“One of the best things you can do is to research the company using the following questions as guidelines: 1) What kind of service/product is this company built on?, 2) Where are they located?, and 3) What do some of the [employees] do there? This should take you 10 minutes to do online, and it will help your conversation. Students will get so much more out of that conversation if they spend a couple of minutes beforehand looking up what the company does and seeing if any questions arise from that. It will not only help students have a productive conversation with the recruiting team, but it will leave a positive impression as well.” – EF Education First
“The best way to engage with an employer is to initially let them know your graduation year and major. After providing that context, it is always great to hear what sparked [your] interest in [signing up with us]! While it is great to look ahead at the list of companies attending and strategically [signing up to meet with those companies], we also highly recommend meeting with other companies that may not have been present in your initial research! Engaging with a variety of companies can help you strategically think about what route may be the best fit for you post graduation.” – Success Academy Charter Schools
“We are looking to talk to anyone interested in [our company, but] one tip I would say is to have some idea of what you, as a student, are looking for in a prospective employer. I believe greatly in that while we might bring you in for an interview to find out more about you, the Career Fair is a perfect opportunity for you to interview US.” – Prudential Advisors
“Don’t just [show up for our 1:1] and say “So what are you about?” or “What do you do?”….do some research into the companies that interest you.” -WGBH Educational Foundation
“Do homework on the companies [you] are interested in prior to attending the career fair, having a game plan for which companies to hit up and have meaningful conversations with.” – Luxottica
Key takeaways: Researching companies in advance = more meaningful conversations! Remember, connecting with an employer at the fair is an opportunity to bring to life the information you’ve gathered by having a human touchpoint with an actual employee.
What’s the best way that a student can stand out?
“The best way a student can stand out is by being prepared. We know that students [attend] to learn more about us, which we are super excited about, but our conversation with students who start out with “So tell me what you guys do,” versus a student who opens with “I saw that you guys work in education but also travel, can you tell me the difference between etc etc” tend to be more fruitful, thus more positively remembered. We make note of students who show a strong sense of curiosity and enthusiasm, which easily comes across when students ask thoughtful questions.” – EF Education First
“Students who have done research or go over some relevant experience stand out during conversations at fairs. Similarly, having thoughtful questions and proactively finding ways to stay connected are two great ways to wrap up a conversation with a company.” – Success Academy Charter Schools
“A student that stands out to us is someone that has already looked us up [online] and comes to us with intention. The qualities I personally look for are energy, positivity, a friendly attitude and motivation. The best candidates I’ve talked to have followed up with me that day via social media.” – Prudential Advisors
“Be personable and enthusiastic and ask a really unique question.” – WGBH Educational Foundation
“It’s always engaging speaking with a student who has done a little bit of background research on the company and is enthusiastic about their interest in the company.” – Luxottica
“Make eye contact, have confidence! Try to build rapport with me, be likeable, sell your skill set to why you might be a fit for my company and the job I’m recruiting for. Who do you know that works for my company? Share a story that makes you unique.” – Oracle America
Key takeaways: Bring your personable, determined, intellectually curious, unique whole self to the virtual sessions and 1:1 meetings. Or in Dr. Seuss speak, “There is no one alive that is youer than you!” and make sure that comes across in your conversations along with your interest in the company and role.
What’s the most common mistake you see students make at a fair when interacting with you?
“The most common mistake is when students [meet with us] and say they’re only looking for a particular type of job/internship. We totally get that if you’re a Marketing student, it makes sense for you to only want internships in Marketing, but that closes the door to other awesome opportunities that could also be a great fit for your interests and skill sets. If we don’t currently have a Marketing role open, then the conversation ends there if students aren’t open to other roles. However, if they approach the conversation talking about what they would like to learn and what their skill sets are, we can engage them with other open positions, maybe in branding, content managing, engagement analytics, etc. Be open to opportunities!” – EF Education First
“Trying to tell me everything about [your] background all at once. It’s overwhelming! I’ve talked to (sometimes) 200+ candidates at a career fair. I want to speak with each candidate individually, however, let me know why you are interested in the job that I am recruiting for (we post all of our roles on Handshake).Then we can have a more engaging conversation of why you might be a fit for my company. A career fair is an opportunity for the candidate to sell to me! However, I don’t need to know everything about you at our first meeting.” – Oracle America
“A common mistake would be not interacting with the representative! The conversation should not feel one sided, you should be learning more about the company and they should be learning more about you as well. Ask questions, share more about yourself so that you are able to learn more and engage in a more personal way with employers.” – Success Academy Charter Schools
“The only pitfall I can really think of is the potential to become distracted while talking to a recruiter. Be present when you are talking and make eye contact.” – Prudential Advisors
“Not dressing appropriately or not knowing that WGBH is actually a non profit.” – WGBH Educational Foundation“When students ask outright what opportunities are available at the company without an introduction on who they are and what their interests are.” – Luxottica
Key takeaways: Don’t let your non-verbal cues speak before you do, and remember: dress still matters, even in a virtual setting! Check out our article on how to prepare a business casual outfit. When you do speak, remember that engaging with a recruiter is meant to be a two way conversation. If you come in with an open mind and listen long enough, you might hear about additional opportunities that better fit your skill set (and have a potential advocate to help open the door).
Be sure to check out employer partners who have already signed up for the Spring Fair on February 17. If you’d like some additional guidance as you prepare, you can RSVP to attend an upcoming Prepare for the Fair workshop through Handshake, stop by the Career Center during drop-in hours Monday through Friday, or chat with a Career Center Staff member virtually during the fair.
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