Attending the Career Fair?

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 09:47:44 -0500
102action, blog, careerandinternshipfair, fair, internships, job, jobs, network, networking, spring2025career, umbccareerfair

Believe it or not, it’s almost time for the Spring 2025 Career & Internship Fair on Friday, February 7, from 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM at the Retriever Activities Center (RAC). This is the Career Center’s biggest event of the semester and we want to make sure that you feel adequately prepared. That’s why we’ve pulled together these tips that will be essential for your success.

1. Do Your Homework. We strongly suggest that you come to the fair knowing exactly who you want to talk to and where their booth is located. How do you find that information? By checking out the Career Fair Directory, and maybe even marking the location of your top employers on a hard copy or digital copy of the floorplan. Then, plan out your route so that you’re most efficient with your time. Consider visiting in-demand companies first if they have longer lines. Take a look at their current job openings to have a more focused conversation. And be ready to give them your best 30-second commercial.

2. Prep Your Materials. Once you know where to go at the fair, you need to make sure that your resume is updated and ready. Are all of your most recent and relevant experiences listed on your document, with bullet points that clearly state the impact you’ve made at that particular organization? Does your resume incorporate industry keywords that demonstrate your alignment with job posts of interest? If you need help, come to our drop-in hours at the Center. We’ll help you determine the skills and accomplishments that should be highlighted to help you stand out.

3. Leverage Handshake. In addition to the Career Fair Directory, you can review a list of employers on Handshake as well. New this semester, we’re adding a QR code to every employer table so you can check-in and your information is captured by the company. This will get you connected to the company more easily and allow you to more properly follow up after the fair (more on that below). You can also upload your most recent resume onto Handshake at the fair (so have your resume on your device) or prior to the fair so the company has that information readily available as well. Be sure that your Handshake profile is complete ahead of time and consider setting your profile to public.

4. Follow Up Post Fair. According to our latest UMBC Careers Unleashed podcast episode on Stress-Free Networking, you don’t need to worry about having little face time with employers at events like career fairs because it’s all about the follow up. What does this mean? You need to be intentional with how to (re)connect with the professionals you met at the fair. Send them a message or email reminding them of the context of your conversation. Don’t say something like, “you probably don’t remember me” because that’s presumptuous. Just thank them for the time you had at the fair and ask for another brief meeting or phone call to ask a few more questions. If you were unable to get their contact info at the fair, search for them on LinkedIn or Handshake and reach out from there.

With these essential tips, you’ll hopefully be fully prepared and ready to make connections at the Spring Internship & Career Fair. Best of luck, and we’ll see you at the RAC on February 7.