{"660833":{"#nid":"660833","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How to Get the Most out of the All-Majors Career Fair","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EUpdated September 6, 2023\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nThe career fair represents possibilities\u00ad\u2013all of the potential paths your future could hold laid out before you under one roof. You want to make a good first impression on prospective employers, but it can be overwhelming. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u201cCareer fairs can be pretty nerve-wracking,\u201d said Christina Hall, graduate career development advisor in the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Education. \u201cThe All-Majors Career Fair hosts close to 200 employers each day, so you want to walk into the fair with a strategy.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nHall\u2019s strategy can be boiled down to a simple, catchy rhyme, \u201cWhat to wear, what to say, and what to put on your resume.\u201d Whether your goal for the career fair is to network, get an idea of who is hiring, or get a job, Hall provides her advice so you can get the most out of the All-Majors Career Fair.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003EBefore the Career Fair\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch, strategize, prioritize.\u003C\/strong\u003E Hall recommends you determine the top five employers you want to talk to and rank them in order of high priority to low priority. \u201cBe strategic and rank the employers because it\u2019s a big event, and you have a limited amount of time,\u201d said Hall. \u201cPick your top five and make those your primary targets. If your top choice has a long line, hit up the other employers first and then go back and wait so you\u2019re making the best use of your time.\u201d The list of employers who are attending the career fair can be found \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech-csm.symplicity.com\/events\/a166f513ef2a50d7781296166e2a2e60\/employers\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EPrepare a \u201ccareer fair-friendly\u201d resume.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cFor a career fair, a one-page resume is ideal,\u201d said Hall. \u201cBring a few more copies than you think you will need. We have employers who just show up on the day-of, so there may be someone unexpected there, or you might have some extra time to talk to an employer who you weren\u2019t originally planning to meet.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003EDay of the Career Fair\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFollow the business professional dress code (but do wear comfortable shoes). \u003C\/strong\u003EAccording to Hall, the attire for the career fair is business professional. Business professional attire means pants (no jeans), closed-toe shoes, button-down shirts, and suits. \u201cSometimes, students think that they don\u2019t want to be too dressed up,\u201d said Hall. \u201cIn my opinion, nobody looks at you negatively for being too dressed up. The issue would always be not being dressed up enough. You want to look professional, but you\u2019re also on your feet. I feel so bad for some of our students because by the end of the fair, I can tell their feet really hurt. Don\u2019t wear heels if they\u2019re not comfortable for you.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EBring a small bag to carry your essentials.\u003C\/strong\u003E Backpacks are not allowed on the career fair floor. Hall recommends opting for a small bag packed with your portfolio, multiple copies of your resume, and water.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EArrive early.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cJust like everybody else, the recruiters are more tired towards the end of the day,\u201d said Hall. \u201cIf you\u2019re there earlier, they are more energetic and responsive. Towards the end of the day, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s a waste of students\u2019 time to go later on, but just know that you may not get the response that you would have gotten first thing in the morning.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003EApproaching an Employer\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPractice with employers who are not one of your top priorities. \u003C\/strong\u003E\u201cIf you get there, and you\u2019re nervous, do a couple practice runs with employers that you are less intimated by so you can get the kinks out before you talk to that top company on your list,\u201d said Hall. \u201cTalk to an employer whose booth is a little bit slower. If you freak out, and you want a minute to practice with somebody, we will have staff available to give you that last-minute boost.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EBe friendly, confident, and demonstrate interest.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cYou want to try to be as friendly and positive as possible to make a good impression,\u201d said Hall. \u201cRecruiters are people too. They respond to somebody who is friendly and polite.\u201d According to Hall, students who convey confidence and show that they have researched the company are more likely to stand out to an employer. \u201cIt makes the employer feel like you\u2019re not just here to talk to everybody, and you really want to talk to them,\u201d said Hall.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EIntroduce yourself with a 30-second past, present, and future elevator pitch.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u201cRehearse what you\u2019re going to say because the more prepared you are, the easier it is to speak flawlessly and feel confident,\u201d said Hall. \u201cWe call it an elevator pitch, and it\u2019s essentially coming up with a 30-second commercial of yourself. Past, present, and future is a good way to go about it: \u2018I\u2019ve recently done this, I\u2019m currently doing this, and I would like to do that in the future.\u2019\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003EAfter the Career Fair\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGet the recruiter\u2019s business card for a follow-up message.\u003C\/strong\u003E Hall says that one mistake students often make is not following up with a recruiter after the career fair. \u201cIf you meet a recruiter, and you have a great conversation with them, try to see if you can get their specific contact information,\u201d said Hall. \u201cAfter the fair, you can follow up and thank them for talking to you. Send your resume again because it never hurts to send it one more time and add them on LinkedIn.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nThe Fall 2023 All-Majors (In Person) Career Fair will be held Monday, Sept. 11 and Tuesday, Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Georgia Tech Campus Recreation Center. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/careerfair.gatech.edu\/fall-2023-all-majors-career-fair\/\u0022\u003EView the list of employers and get more career fair tips here\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EChristina Hall, graduate career development advisor, shares her advice for how you can get the most out of the 2023 All-Majors Career Fair.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Christina Hall, graduate career development advisor, shares her advice for how you can get the most out of the 2022 All-Majors Career Fair.\u00a0"}],"uid":"36249","created_gmt":"2022-09-02 14:11:19","changed_gmt":"2023-09-06 13:13:55","author":"Sara Franc","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-09-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2022-09-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"660834":{"id":"660834","type":"image","title":"All-Majors Career Fair","body":null,"created":"1662127966","gmt_created":"2022-09-02 14:12:46","changed":"1662127966","gmt_changed":"2022-09-02 14:12:46","alt":"Employers set up with their tables at a career fair","file":{"fid":"250369","name":"CareerFair_800x450_CurrentStudentGradBuzz_2022.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/CareerFair_800x450_CurrentStudentGradBuzz_2022.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/CareerFair_800x450_CurrentStudentGradBuzz_2022.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":268937,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/CareerFair_800x450_CurrentStudentGradBuzz_2022.jpg?itok=bzNctB_G"}}},"media_ids":["660834"],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1808","name":"graduate students"},{"id":"1506","name":"faculty"},{"id":"69901","name":"Postdocs"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sara.franc@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESara Franc\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGraduate and Postdoctoral Education\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}