Career Development
Center
  Occidental College
 1600 Campus Road,
Coons 109
 Los Angeles, CA
 90041-3314

 Email: careers@oxy.edu
 Phone: 323.259.2623
 Fax: 323.341.4900

Career Guides to Assist in the Job Search

Three Minute Career Fair Encounter

The relaxed and friendly "open house" format of a career fair makes it easy to explore career options, develop a network of career contacts, identify job openings, and even land an interview...in a short amount of time. 

Here are quick tips designed to maximize your success.

• Research the Companies in Advance. If your main objective is landing an interview, do your homework beforehand. Review the roster of participating employers and take the time to learn something about them. If employer profiles are available at the Career Development Center, come and take a look.  Explore various sites on the Internet. On the day of the career fair, pick up additional material, find a quiet corner, and study it in more detail.
• First impressions are lasting impressions. You should look and act professionally when meeting recruiters. If possible, dress in business attire. At the very least, good grooming is essential. Offer a firm, friendly handshake and be sure to make eye contact to establish rapport.
• Market Yourself. Consider the career fair as "round one" of a job interview. Be ready with a thumbnail sketch of the skills and talents that set you apart from others who are competing for the same job. Rehearsing your "pitch" will make you feel and appear more confident, organized and focused.
• Bring Your Resume. Have enough resumes available to give to organizations you are targeting. Cover the basics: your work experience, educational credentials, extracurricular activities, and awards and honors. Be sure to include a daytime phone number and perhaps your email address.
• Keep an Open Mind. Do not exclude potential employers just because they are not a Fortune 100 company. Small and mid-size firms are where most new jobs will be created in the future. Consider hitching your wagon to a rising star, not just to a "brand name" corporation.
• Broaden Your Focus. You may miss out on possible opportunities if you pass up an employer because of preconceived ideas. Many technical firms offer non-technical positions, and vice-versa. You will be surprised how many employers are looking for candidates with a solid liberal arts background, and internship or work experience.
• Ask Questions. Increase your knowledge of industry trends, job options, career paths, training programs, and other information that can help you make a wise career decision. Save your questions on salary and fringe benefits until the company has expressed a clear interest in you.
• Prioritize Your Time. Choose the employers that interest you the most and talk to them first. Then, as time permits, expand your circle of contacts. Instead of standing in line to talk to a particular employer, circulate and come back later. Check out short lines to employer tables you had not considered visiting. There might be something interesting you otherwise would have missed.
• Follow Up. Always ask for a business card for your records. Write something down you discussed with the recruiter in order to personalize your thank you note.  The best practice is to send a thank you note within 24 to 48 hours and include your resume. You can also use the thank you note to briefly describe an additional selling point that you did not get to mention at the career fair.

One Last Word.  Relax and enjoy the day! Explore, look, listen, learn -- you never know what career opportunities and new ideas may await you!