How to Make Your Mark At Career Expos

Career expos provide you with a fantastic opportunity to meet with potential employers and industry experts. To really make a good impression, you’ll need to do some preparation first. Get your corporate, job-interview-worthy outfit ready, then check out these six tips to make sure you are putting your best foot forward:

Do your research: Find out about the participating employers, and narrow down a shortlist of, say, your top five. Then research as much as you possibly can about each of these companies so that you have an understanding of who they are and what they are looking for in graduate recruits. This knowledge can form the basis of your chat with them, and show just how keen you are to secure your spot in their organisation.    

Update and proofread your resume: This is a career expo people – take a few copies of your resume with you! Employers may want to have a quick look over it while you’re speaking with them. Have several people proofread it to ensure it reads well and contains absolutely no errors – spelling mistakes or poor grammar on a resume will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. If you can, print all the copies on high-quality paper and carry them in a professional-looking portfolio.

Ask thoughtful questions: Don’t waste anyone’s time (or your own) by asking something you could have found out via the company’s website. Come up with some questions about the employer’s own experience with the organisation, why they chose to take a role there, what they feel are the best aspects of the graduate program, maybe even what they enjoy most about their job. This is a chance for you to learn about the cultural aspects of the company, and find out a little more about your potential boss.

Use a great opening line: Think about how many people these employers will be meeting on the day. How many times will they hear, “Nice to meet you, my name is …” – a lot! There is nothing wrong with this standard opening line, but it isn’t exactly memorable is it? Be someone they remember by coming up with a great opening line to use – something that gives a quick snapshot of who you are as a person and what you love about their company.

Print your own business cards: Your own personalised business cards will impress anyone you give them to, because they demonstrate your professionalism and willingness to make that extra effort. Not only will people accept them, they’re very likely going to offer you their own in return, which makes it easy for you to follow up and thank them for their time. Make sure they look so good they’re worth keeping, include all your contact details, and feature a sharp tagline that describes you in a nutshell.

Get Linking: Take advantage of the networking opportunities a career expo presents and ask people if you can “LinkIn” with them. LinkedIn allows you to keep in touch with professional contacts long after the event, even if you lose their business cards, so have your smartphone ready.

There will be lots of other hopefuls in attendance, but at the risk of sounding corny, there will only be one you. Follow these tips and give yourself the best chance of standing out – employers will always remember the student who really makes an effort!