Researching organizations coming to the College of Business Career Fair can help you create a strong game plan and effectively utilize your time at the event.
Resources for Research
There are loads of places you can go to get more information on the organizations you’re curious about:
- Handshake Employer Pages: You can get to these directly from the career fair event page, or you can search on your own. Here, you’ll find a brief overview of the organization, reviews from other students, open jobs / internships, events, and, sometimes, contact info for recruiting teams.
- Company Websites: Go directly to the company’s website and find their “About Us” section to read more about their history, mission, vision, values, services, organizational structure, etc.
- LinkedIn: Check out recent posts, get a feel for life at the organization, and research folks who work at the company to better understand what they do and what possibilities might exist.
- New York Times & Wall Street Journal: Did you know that you get free access to both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal as a CSU business student? These can be great resources to see current business news related to various companies.
- Company Ranking Lists: Based on your values, you might explore various company ranking lists that highlight a corporate efforts to create an inclusive workplace for all identities, increase sustainable business practices, support LGBTQ employees, etc.
What to Research
While it’s always a good idea to have a general understanding of what an organization does and what kind of positions they’re hiring for, the rest of your research will be highly dependent on what you’re looking for and your values. What kind of things are you curious to learn more about?
Are you hoping to get a broad overview of the functional areas of the business or career field through an internship? Perhaps spending time on the review section of the Handshake Employer Pages or reading internship descriptions would give you some insight.
Are you looking for a company that promotes from within and encourages employee growth? Explore LinkedIn profiles of current employees to view their career trajectory and if/how they’ve advanced within the organization.
Are you seeking employers that demonstrate a strong commitment to inclusion for employees and customers alike? See what media coverage they’ve received on the topic, what images and language are used on their website and marketing materials, and how they rank among corporate lists that evaluate inclusion efforts. (For support exploring a company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, check out the CMC’s student guide to Assessing DEI in Company Culture!)
Using Research to Develop Questions
So, after doing all that research, you still have questions? GOOD! Maybe your research sparked new questions or you couldn’t find information you were looking for—remember your questions and use them to spark conversation with employers at the career fair!
The fact that you took time to research beforehand and develop specific questions will impress any recruiter and help you start a genuine, productive conversation at the fair, which will allow you to better evaluate each opportunity you’re pursuing.
For more tips and support to help you prepare for the College of Business Career Fair, check out our Career Fair Blog Series and visit the Career Management Center.
