Prepare for Events

✅ Register early! Search upcoming events and click to register as required. 

• Registration is sometimes not required – but you will get employer updates and reminders once you are registered.

✅ Add to your calendar. Ask for time off early from job/student org/professor, if needed, to attend your registered sessions.

✅ Identify employers attending. From the Handshake event, click “show all employers.” Find detailed information including company description, position titles and employment type they are recruiting (full-time, part-time, internship, etc.), school years desired, and sessions the company will have available. (Check back often in Handshake – new employers may be added right up to the event date.)

• Make a list of companies to visit and research! Know their key products and services, recent successes/challenges, financial situation, cultural information including their company affinity groups, leadership representation, values, and future growth plans.

TIP: Create an event cheat sheet that includes key company information and a space for you to take notes. Here’s a sample!

• Check Handshake to identify positions that companies you’ll be meeting with are hiring for. If positions aren’t posted in Handshake, try looking on a company’s website for a glimpse of their roles.

✅ Prepare your resume. Check out the CMC resume samples for ideas and review your resume with a career counselor.

TIP: Keep an eye out for the CMC recruiter resume revisions event prior to the career fair. It is a great way to connect with employers and get a few more tips!

• Print your resume and bring enough copies to share with recruiters at the in-person event.

• Upload your resume to Handshake and make it public so employers you visit can access.

✅ Develop your questions. Make note of what you will ask each company to show that you have an interest and help you get to know them better.

✅ Practice a 4-step introduction:

1. Who You Are (i.e. name, area of study, year)
2. Your Interests (i.e. job, internship, type of role, etc.)
3. The Highlights (i.e. key info to know about you – experience, skills, knowledge, etc.)
4. A Question (i.e. ask them something to get the conversation going). Researching the company you’ll be meeting could be helpful to form your introduction talking points.

HINT: Refer to our Professional Introduction resources for tips and tricks!

✅ Plan for how you will take notes. Bringing a padfolio or folder and notebook works great and gives you room for hanging onto handouts and business cards. Jot down contact information, answers to questions, instructions for follow-up. (Didn’t bring your padfolio? Jot down notes on the back of business cards!)

✅ Prepare to dress for success. Plan your professional attire to show confidence and make a great first impression.

TIP: Need assistance purchasing professional clothing for events? Check out the CMC Professional Development Fund.

✅ Familiarize yourself with the room. Take a walk around. Get comfortable. Locate the employers you want to meet and make a plan.

✅ Work out the nerves. Practice by visiting with a company lower on your list before heading to your top choice.

✅ Take notes. Perhaps you wait until after the conversation, but take time to jot down next steps, impressions, and who you spoke with at each company.

✅ Get contact information from recruiters. This is important you can send a thank you note and follow-up for continued networking. (Hint: Ask if it’s acceptable to follow-up later with questions.)

✅ Have copies of your resume handy. Recruiters are most interested in the discussion with you, but it’s common to offer a copy of your resume.

• Don’t be discouraged if they don’t keep your resume. It’s often not efficient for recruiters to leave with a stack of of resumes. They’ll likely ask you to submit your application online so you are in their tracking systems. The discussion was still an important step to standing out.

✅ Smile and be yourself!

✅ Send a thank you note. Ideally within 24 hours of the event. This demonstrate both gratitude and a genuine interest in the company. A handwritten note is a nice touch; an email is more timely. Check out the CMC Guide to Sending a Thank You Note.

✅ Connect on LinkedIn. Use search functions to identify recruiters you spoke with and send them a personalized invitation to connect. Find posts they make for added opportunities to engage (Like, Comment, or Share).

✅ Complete any next steps from recruiters. Did they ask you to apply for a position on Handshake or the company website? Did they tell you to email them? Did they suggest a skill to develop? Come up with a plan to complete these steps and keep the recruiter updated.

✅ Brush up on interview skills. Hopefully your positive interaction and subsequent application lead to an interview. Start getting ready in advance. Schedule a Mock Interview with the CMC before spots fill for added practice.

✅ Mark your calendar to follow-up. Stay in communication with employers to see where they are in their hiring process.

• TIP: Follow the employers’ timeline. If they suggest one week for a decision, then follow-up in a week. If they don’t provide a timeline, a 1-2 week wait is sufficient before you follow up with them.)