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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.