What I Look for at a Career Fair: Students Speak

If you’re headed to a career fair, you may be thinking that the students you’ll be speaking with are the only ones who have to make an impression. Wrong! The employer needs to make an impression just as much in order to not only get students to stop and talk but also to even be noticed. Need some concrete ideas? Hear it straight from the source. These student friends of AgCareers.com share what they look for at career fairs, whether it be the appearance of a booth or what the employer offers:

“At career fairs, I’m attracted to very specific things. Naturally, I’m going to stop and talk to familiar faces first. If I’ve seen a company on campus before, I’m more likely to visit with them because they’ve demonstrated they’re serious about hiring college students like me. As a marketing communications person, I’m more likely to approach a company that shows my field is already a priority at their company with well-articulated messages. If their display is drab or thrown together I’m not stopping. Also, I know these events are long and exhausting. If I pass a company where people are still on their feet and engaging with job candidates at the end of the day I’m probably going to introduce myself. I want to work with people who are passionate about their job, even when their feet ache and stomachs are growling.”

– Natalina Sents, 2016 Iowa State University graduate

“When I go to career fairs and talk to employers, I look for opportunities to move up in the company or opportunities to travel in a position. As an entry-level applicant, opportunities for growth and benefits such as getting a Master’s degree are things that are important to me, as well as my peers. I expect that the employer is able to answer questions about the main responsibilities of the positions they have open and the qualification for the position. Being able to answer the average salary of the position is a bonus. When employers maybe don’t have an internship program or a high retention rate of employees staying with the company, that is a red flag to me.”

– Victoria Price, University of Florida senior, Class of 2017

Want to test out your career fair impression without having to worry about travelling or setting up a booth? Register your company for an AgCareers.com Virtual Career Fair. Right now, we are hosting two career fairs: one for all kinds of candidates (the Resume Database Virtual Career Fair on September 27) and one for candidates with two-year or skilled trade degrees (the Two-Year/Technical Virtual Career Fair on October 6).

Also, check out this article about employer branding from AgCareers.com.