UGA Career Center

This blog post has been updated by Megan Elrath, Career Consultant on April 23, 2024 for relevancy, inclusivity, and formatting.

Whether you are a current student or alumni, there is important homework to be done in order to ace a career fair. The following strategies are intended to help you show up feeling more prepared and to make a more memorable and positive impression to potential employers.

1. Strategize the order of your employers.

The first step is to research the participating employers that will be attending the career fair. You can find a list of registered employers on Handshake. Make a comprehensive list of all the ones you would like to meet and learn more about. Most importantly, break down these employers into three groups:

Group A: High Pressure
Group B: Moderate Pressure
Group C: Low Pressure

The first one, Group A, is reserved for opportunities or companies that are highly selective, very popular among students, and possibly the ones with which you are most nervous to speak. You should put potential employers that you feel relatively confident speaking to in Group B. Lastly, Group C should be reserved for the ones you are the least nervous to meet and have the lowest stakes.

When you enter the career fair, you should never start with an employer from Group A. It can be tempting to jump straight into your most desired opportunity, but chances are you will feel most nervous during the your first employer interaction. By starting with Group B, you will get a chance to relax and learn from any mistakes. Once you feel more comfortable, you can begin approaching the organizations from Group A. If you are still lacking confidence or having trouble connecting to recruiters, this would be a good time to tap into Group C, then circle back to Group A when you're ready.

Having a plan before you arrive is the best way to be smart with your time.

2. Research the employers.

According to survey findings, employers have indicated that UGA students should conduct more research on the company before applying or interviewing. The best place to start is a simple Google search of the company and to check out their main website.

However, that alone is not enough to impress a recruiter. Look further using these websites:

While looking at these sites, learn more about the company’s specialty, organizational structure, culture, company history, achievements, future projects, size, and relevant news. Take note of interesting findings, points of pride, or any pieces of information that could make good conversation topics with the representative.

3. Keep your notes handy and have questions.

As you are researching, be sure to take notes. Put your notes for each company in your padfolio or folder so you can have access to a quick reminder before approaching the employer. Along with your notes, you should also include tailored questions for each of the employers. Creating specific questions for each company will help you stand out against the crowd.

4. Print many copies of your resume.

Print more than you think you may need! It is possible more than one representative may speak to you at an employer booth, so you will want to be prepared. This is also a good idea in case a copy gets ruined or you meet an employer that was not on your original list. That said, remember that some organizations will simply ask you to apply online - this is to be expected.

5. Plan your outfit carefully.

Is it professional? Presentable? Are you comfortable? Depending on your schedule, you could be standing and walking for hours, so be intentional with the shoes you ultimately pick. Not to mention—you could get sweaty! Check out some "Dress for Success" tips here.

6. Perfect the pitch.

Practice, practice, practice. Your pitch to the employer or recruiter can set you apart from the competition, but it can often feel difficult or awkward to come up with exactly what to say. Here are ideas you should try to incorporate into the pitch:

An introduction
Why you stand out as a candidate
Resume highlights
Your goal
Why you’re interested in this company
End with a question to engage them in a conversation

Ideally, this should be anywhere between 30 to 45 seconds. Be friendly, warm, and confident. The best approach is to include what feels most comfortable and authentically you. This resource includes sample pitches that you can adapt to your own situation.

Now that you’ve done your homework and studying, you have one last thing to do…get a good night of sleep.

Best of luck!