Never Been to a Career Fair? Get a clue as a CSI

As you prepare for the week of February 17, when there are 3 different career fairs on campus, you may be wondering what to expect if you have never been to a fair. What should you do? How do you prepare? My suggestion is to take on the behavior of a Crime Scene Investigator (CSI). If you've ever seen The Pink Panther movies starring Steve Martin, as Inspector Clouseau (pronounced "clue so"), you want to become like the Inspector as you attend your first career fair. What does the Inspector do?

Locate targets. As Inspector Clouseau pursues his prey, he first has to do research and go after his suspects. You want to do the same. Review the lists of employers attending on the career fair web site, and come up with a target list of the organizations you plan to talk with. Make sure you visit your target list employers' web sites to learn about their organizations and come up with some questions to ask.

Get your gear prepared. Make sure your resume sells you well. Have faculty and career advisors review your resume, and make some copies on resume quality paper (a bit nicer than your printer paper). And, work on your introduction or elevator pitch. Dress to impress. You don't necessarily have to wear a suit like the Inspector below, but you want to be dressed in business casual.

Use your powers of observation. When you arrive at the fair, put your name tag on your right shoulder, grab a map and develop your plan of attack. First, go stand in a long line at a popular employer's booth and eavesdrop on the conversations. What questions are employers asking? How are students selling themselves and what are some of the issues they bring up with employers? Hang out in the long line to hear several conversations, and then move on to a few other long lines before you speak to your first employer.

Now you're ready. Take a deep breath, and begin with an employer who is not one of your targets. After you have spoken to a few employers who are not your top choices, where you polish your conversations, then move on to those on your target list. Inspector Clouseau would be proud--you did it!

For more tips on career fairs check out our fall post with this infographic on Play Your Cards Right at Career Fairs, and after the fairs, read about follow up. Final recommendation, when you need a good laugh, if you've never seen the Pink Panther movies, check them out. I really like the older versions too, starring Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau.