Make the Most of Your Visits to Careers Fairs
Read our list of tips and suggestions to make the most of your chance to meet and impress potential employers face-to-face!


Before the Fair

1. Find out about the exhibitors
You shouldn’t treat the fair as your first opportunity to research the employers which interest you. Exhibitors are not there to introduce you to their organisations but to answer your questions in more depth. The fair is about how you can find out additional information which is not available on their website, and get company-specific advice for your applications.

2. Have your CV checked by a Careers Advisor
Some companies at the fair will wish to see your CV and may even take a copy. However, will your CV let you down? Does it ‘sell’ your individual qualities, skills and knowledge and make you an attractive candidate for interview? Do you stand out from the crowd or will it be hard to distinguish you from all the other students out there? If you are unsure, there is plenty of help available. Make an appointment with your University’s Careers Service or the Royal Aeronautical Society Careers Centre for advice.


Visiting the Fair

3. Make a good first impression
Treat the Careers Fair as an initial meeting with potential employers. Dress smartly as if you were attending a formal interview with the employer. Business dress will also boost your confidence and show that you have prepared for the day in advance.

4. Get there early
Where possible, try and visit the stands early. Remember that by the end of the day exhibitors will have aching feet and croaky voices from standing and talking all day. Impress employers with your ability to get out of bed early, and see them at their freshest!

5. Target the employers
When you arrive you may be feeling nervous about approaching the exhibitors. ‘Practise’ your approach by starting with the companies you are less interested in to try and overcome any nerves. However, treat each visit to a stand as a chance to show your skills off, and the chance to change any preconceived ideas you have about companies and what they can offer. You may be surprised by what you learn.

6. Present yourself
There is nothing worse for an exhibitor than a visitor who walks up to their stand and asks “What do you do?”, or, ‘What graduate opportunities do you have?’ as an ice-breaker. As mentioned in point 1, you should know about what each organisation does before you go to the fair.

You should engage the exhibitor with a short presentation about yourself – name, course, year of study, what you are looking for, what skills you can offer, and why you have come to this particular stand. You may need to have a two-minute personal presentation ready!

Be prepared to answer ‘interview-style’ questions rightaway and have some pertinent questions ready to ask the exhibitor. If they are working in the same type of position you would like, ask them what they enjoy about the role, how they got it and any tips they could offer to applicants! Ask for their name. If you apply to the company, you can then state the name of the person you spoke to, and where, to demonstrate your motivation by the extra research you have carried out on the company.

7. Visit all the stands
You will find lots of useful information at Careers events. Many other organisations are there to help you. Institutions like the Royal Aeronautical Society are often there to hand out useful job-hunting and company information on the industries they represent, and to provide you with impartial advice and guidance.

There are often also interview, assessment centre, CV workshops where you can get feedback on your performance, and company-specific presentations. Balance your visit between taking advantage of these activities and talking with employers.


Post-exhibition

8. Make notes from any conversations you have had before you forget any useful tips etc.

9. READ through all the information you have collected!

10. Note the type of application needed – CV and covering letter; online application form etc.

11. Note the closing dates for applications. Don’t confuse different employers’ closing dates.

12. Make an action plan and stick to it! For example, create a spreadsheet with the employers you will apply to, website details, type of application, closing date etc. Put the companies in order of closing dates so you can target them in the right order!

13. If necessary, seek more help from a Careers Advisor to make your applications and build this time into your action plan.

14. Go to more careers exhibitions. And find out about other networking opportunities such as seminars, conferences etc.

15. Start preparing for interviews and assessment centres!