Introducing yourself to someone new can be both exciting and intimidating—especially when that person is an employer at the College of Business Career Fair!
As you create your event strategy and research employers, consider how you want to present yourself and what you want to call attention to in your conversation with recruiters and company representatives. We call this your Professional Introduction, and have a guide to help you develop your own!
The trick to crafting an introduction that will spark conversation is asking a thoughtful, open-ended question.
Generic questions like, “Can you tell me about your organization?” or, “What roles are you hiring for?” can be good starters, particularly if you happen upon a company you weren’t able to research beforehand. However, try to have tailored questions ready that will help you assess each opportunity and organization to help with your post-event action plan.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- What do you look for when hiring for a <job title>?
Tip: Use this information to boost your resume, cover letter, and interview STAR stories! - What does the internship structure look like?
- How does <company> support employee growth and professional development?
- What are the current challenges and priorities for <company>?
- What you enjoy most about working for <company>?
Remember, develop questions through your research and ask about what you truly want to know. You likely won’t have time to ask all of your questions, so prioritize what’s most pressing and what could help you strike up an informative conversation with an employer. You can always ask, “What’s the best way to follow-up with you?” as a closer to the discussion, and ask any follow-up questions over LinkedIn, email, coffee, etc.
Career fair conversations are meant to help you build a connection with employers, but also give you the information you need to make good career decisions—use this opportunity wisely!
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.
