Steven Burrell has been writing about education and business solutions for nearly ten years. He believes that student assessment testing results in happier employees in more productive workplaces. Click to read more from Steven.

By Steven Burrell

The beginning of a career is an exciting time. But it is also a scary and nerve wracking time! A time for over preparing and second-guessing, so it can be stressful to be embarking on a new path. Many colleges and local communities try to ease that transition by setting up career fairs. They invite prospective employers to set up booths and send representatives to talk to students. Students, meanwhile, are invited to bring their enthusiasm and open minds.

Going to a career fair can feel overwhelming for students or new graduates. But instead of viewing them with trepidation, attendees should look at career fairs as opportunities. Below are some helpful tips for more successful career fairs:

1. Dress appropriately

Your physical appearance makes your first impression and first impressions, we all know, are very important. So even if you are coming from class or if the career fair is early in the morning, make sure you look polished and professional. Professional doesn’t mean wearing a suit necessarily, but it does mean avoiding jeans with holes in them, tank tops, and sneakers.

2. Bring plenty of copies of your resume.

Not every company will want a resume, but you should be prepared to give out as many as necessary. Bring them in a leather bound portfolio if you can get one. If not, just use a regular folder. Either way, make sure you have plenty of flat, non-folded, clean resumes to hand out to prospective employers.

3. Make sure your resume shines

Even if you don’t have a lot of experience, talk yourself up as much as possible on your resume. Talk about your achievements and skills, but of course, do not lie. Make sure there are no typos – not a single one! – and that the resume is pleasing to the eye. That means enough white space, good alignment, and other design techniques. Look on the internet for examples of good resumes and feel free to copy a lot of the formatting.

4. Be friendly and positive

Even if you do not think you are interested in the company, stay friendly and upbeat. Think of every conversation as a mini-interview and all of them as great practice for real interviews. Even if you do not think you would ever want a particular job, if you are in an interview for it, consider it a great practicing opportunity.

5. Ask a lot of questions.

When you ask a question to a representative of a company, you engage them. When that happens they are more likely to remember you than if the many people they will simply speak to about the company. Learn about the employer and ask the questions you genuinely want to know. Your genuine interest will show through, making you a better candidate.

6. Get business cards and follow up.

Make sure that you take contact information for the people you speak to if you are interested in their companies. Then when you get home email them to follow up. Ask a good question if you can to make the conversation last longer, and to develop a real relationship!

7. Relax and have a good time.

In this economy, it can feel like there is a lot of pressure to find a job and only a few jobs to land. Don’t let this pressure affect your ability to relax and make real connections.

If you walk out of a job fair without a job or any new relationships, the only thing you have lost is time. But if you follow these tips that almost certainly will not happen anyway! So go out and have a good time meeting people.

Tonya Vrba is a senior at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. She is double majoring in Journalism and International Studies with a focus on human rights. Tonya is the creator and author of Find a Job After College, a blog dedicated to helping college students and recent graduates find a job after college.

Read Part I of Tonya’s post here.

By Tonya Vrba

It’s the day of the fair and time to give it everything I’ve got.

Before work I stop by a computer lab and print out 20 copies of my resume, figuring it’s better to have too many than too few. Who doesn’t need an excellent communicator? At work, it dawns on me that I should print out some of my articles and take them with me.

I make my way to the Student Union, where the event is being held. Immediately I am hit with a luxury I didn’t expect. I get a name tag, a book full of information about each employer and a map. There are 139 booths. Some companies have two, but there are at least 100 companies here. I take some time to circle on the map all the booths I want to visit. I know who I am most excited to meet. ASC Communication, Inc. had sent me an email back saying they looked forward to seeing me there. As I plot my plan for the fair on the map, I decide to pick a company I am less interested in first. This is my trial run.

I am not prepared for what faces me when I finally walk into the main area. Even though it’s later in the day, the amount of people crammed into the room is outstanding. As soon as I walk in, I am lost. Looking at the map, I confirm my location and head to my first booth.

AEGON companies are listed as looking for communications and public relations students. I’m pretty sure that I fit that, but I’m not really gung-hoe about their company. I walk up and introduce myself to a man who asks me what my major is. It’s clear right away that this is not for me, but I keep my smile and politely ask if they would like my resume at the end.

The experience was important, as I now had an idea about how to phrase my pitch speech. As I walk away, I am lost. There are too many people and too many booths. I head for the exit, take a breather and revise my plan into perfection. My original plan was to stop by every booth looking for journalism or communications majors, but there is no way I can maneuver around the mass of people that fast. Now, I make a note of the journalism booths as the only places to go. I also plan to walk out into the lobby after every booth visit, gather my thoughts and refresh myself on the activities of the next company I want to visit.

The next booth is ASC Communications, Inc. It appears I was expected, because they greet me with familiarity. I wish I had some advice at this point about how to stand out at the career fair, but I don’t. All I can say is that I clicked. Suddenly, I could see my future here. The conversation flowed perfectly. I left the booth with an interview scheduled for the following day.

“All I can say is that I clicked. Suddenly, I could see my future here. The conversation flowed perfectly.”

I stopped by four other booths. With some, I clicked as well, with others, not so much. I was very happy I approached Brooksource. I almost didn’t because they are based in Indianapolis and I want to live near Chicago if possible. When I walk up to the Brooksource booth, I discover that they are actually most interested in finding someone to work for one of their locations in Chicago. This was one of the companies that I clicked with. I vow never to avoid approaching a company based on location again. Who knows how big some of these companies are?

Satisfied with my career fair endeavors, I decide it’s time to leave. I am extremely excited for my interview with ASC Communications, Inc., even though, between work and school, I have almost no time to prepare.

I will not make any assumptions about how I came across in the interview. I know that it was one of the best interviews I have ever had. Even if it happens that I don’t get the job, I feel so very proud of what I accomplished.

“…my biggest and most important tip I can give a student is to research and email one or two companies before the career fair.”

My Advice to All College Students? There are many voices out there giving their own take on career fairs. I think it was more than worth it, just for the learning experience and the confidence boost it gave me. That being said, my biggest and most important tip I can give a student is to research and email one or two companies before the career fair. I honestly think ASC Communications, Inc. planned on interviewing me before they saw me at the fair. They were excited to see me because they already had an idea of who I was.

Sounds like the career fair was a success! If you missed it, here is Part I of Tonya’s story – the Preparation.

Tonya Vrba is a senior at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. She is double majoring in Journalism and International Studies with a focus on human rights. While studying abroad in Northern Ireland, she earned a Certificate in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Ulster in Derry.  Tonya is the creator and author of Find a Job After College, a blog dedicated to helping college students and recent graduates find a job after college.

By Tonya Vrba

Perhaps I should be enjoying my last year of formal education, but my mind is too preoccupied with thoughts of the future. My goal this year is to achieve the Holy Grail every college student strives for – to be employed upon graduation. If I start early, I’m sure to be ahead of the game. That’s why, even though I don’t graduate until spring, I am going to the fall job and internship fair.

The Preparation

I’ve never been to a career fair before, so I’m not very sure what I’m in for. I start my research by finding out who is expected to show up. More importantly – who wants journalism majors? My choice of majors has very little to do with who was hiring who or how much money I would make. I went to college in order to be equipped with the skills to do whatever would make me happy. Who wants to spend 40 or more hours doing something they hate?

Well, here comes my day of reckoning. There are over 100 companies coming to my university from all over the country. How many are looking for journalism majors? 10. This will not discourage me. I am good at what I do and I will show those 10 employers that I am the best for their company.

I pick out a few to research. I am especially interested in ASC Communications, Inc. who publishes three magazines and a handful of websites geared toward various health professions.  They are located in Chicago, Illinois, which is where I want to be in a year.

“I take the initiative to introduce myself via e-mail to the few companies I am really excited to meet. I even attach a copy of my resume.”

As far as I’m concerned, the career fair has already started. I take the initiative to introduce myself via e-mail to the few companies I am really excited to meet. I even attach a copy of my resume. Everyone likes compliments and I know employers want employees who are passionate. The idea that I don’t stand a chance has come and gone. I realize as I send the messages and prepare for the fair, how dedicated I am to my profession. Looking over my personal statement about why I chose journalism I am overcome with determination. Even if this fair ends up being nothing more than a learning experience, I will milk it for all it’s worth. Tonya Vrba was born to write and write I shall.

My last step of preparation is to Google search “how to stand out at a job fair” and “when is the best time of day to show up at the job fair.” This endeavor is almost more discouraging than it is helpful. Some say to use a creative resume; others say to keep it simple. Some sites tell me to come early when the recruiters are more alert, others say to come later so they will be more likely to remember you and other sites claim career fairs are a waste of time all together.

Who needs Google when you have instinct? The job fair is from 11AM to 4PM. I decide to go around 2PM as this time is well enough after lunch but not so near the end as to have everyone more eager to leave than speak to students. I make myself a creative resume, but don’t go too crazy with it. A journalist should feel free to show off creativity – its part of the job description.

Thanks Tonya for sharing. Did the preparation pay off? Find out tomorrow when we post Part II!

Update: Part II is up!

The NY Creative Interns team, including (L to R) Marny Smith, Emily Miethner and Reb Carlson, is organizing a July 20 wine mixer for those interested in pro bono work.

By Alex Braun

If you live in the New York City area and could use some wine professional project work to round out your resume, you don’t want to miss next Wednesday’s Catchafire wine mixer, sponsored by NY Creative Interns and The Morris + King Company.

Catchafire is a website that matches people who want to showcase a certain professional skill with pro bono work for nonprofits. You can choose either from a list of projects or a list of organizations that interest you, and apply straight from the site to contribute your talent. (Please be aware that most projects require 2+ years of experience, but internships do count.) In browsing the site, I saw that many of the projects could be scheduled flexibly, making Catchafire an ideal venue for students or people who are already employed to build out their resumes.

Pro bono projects give you high-quality experience that can pay off the next time you see a similar job listing.

The “catch” in “Catchafire?” Well, pro bono is Latin for “they’re not going to pay you.” However, just as taking an unpaid internship can increase your earning potential, pro bono projects give you high-quality experience that can pay off the next time you see a similar job listing. And it just sounds more character-establishing than “unpaid internship,” you know?

Drinks at the Catchafire meetup will be provided by Terra Fossil Wines.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. July 20 at 101 Fifth Ave. #8F with a presentation from Catchafire employees about how their system works and testimonials from previous pro bono workers. At the end, you’ll get to discuss work you’d like to do and the types of causes you support. Admission is $10 for professionals and $5 for students or recent grads.

Throughout the event, wine bottles with dinosaurs on them will be present, but we’d advise you to imbibe conservatively and avoid listing “dinosaurs” as one of your cause interests. Because let’s face it, they’re dead.

Want to attend this event? Go reserve your spot at the “Give What You’re Good At” Eventbrite page.

When you sign up for the American Jobs Conference, you can create a tweetable badge that introduces you to other attendees.

Update: This morning, we’re proud to announce the addition of former Miami mayor Manny Diaz to our slate of panelists.

By Alex Braun

Don’t have a job? Don’t have a car? Don’t have feet?

None of these are an excuse for missing the American Jobs Conference on Tuesday (7/19), a first-of-its-kind, free Twitter event that will provide top-quality advice and networking opportunities for navigating this difficult job market.

Internships.com’s sister company, TweetMyJOBS.com, has lined up business, political, career and social media experts who will be answering your submitted questions on Twitter, and you’ll be able to follow the action from a single dashboard that lets you speak your mind, vote on job issues, network with other attendees and follow the speakers you care about most. And you don’t even need to have a Twitter account to participate – although it is recommended.

Our “Tweetnote” speaker is Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota, who will discuss his ideas for helping Americans get back into the workforce while replying to user-submitted questions, which you can start entering here. Pawlenty’s Tweetnote will be followed by Tweet Panels and Career Chats with industry experts, professional career coaches and HR experts who are interested in meeting tech-savvy aspiring professionals like you who want to get off the couch and back to work. You can view the full list of speakers here.

Though T-Paw is a politician and presidential candidate, the American Jobs Conference isn’t a political event. The idea is to bring together many different people that influence the job market in one place through the power of social networking, to have a healthy, intelligent debate and create relationships that lead to steady employment.

You can choose to attend the conference as a Job Seeker, Employer, Recruiter, Career Expert, Social Media Expert, Currently Employed or “Other” (if you’re one of those types who resist labels). To RSVP for the conference and create your tweetable conference badge, click here.

By Alex Braun

Anyone is welcome to apply for The Intern Game, but you have to be able to both work in Minnesota this summer and make it to the event on April 26.

Update: The submission deadline has been extended until April 21 at noon Central Time. The previous deadline had been April 19.

Most things are less stressful when you make a game of it. That’s exactly what the Minnesota Interactive Marketing Association did with the dreaded summer internship hunt in creating “The Intern Game” — a competition for paid internships at five Minneapolis marketing and development agencies.

Weber Shandwick, space150, The Nerdery, EatonGolden and Clockwork are each looking for a paid summer intern, but for different roles: designer, media, interactive developer, user experience and project manager, respectively. To fill that need, they’re participating in a Dating Game-style event emceed by Emmy Award-winning TV news anchor Jason DeRusha.

Of all the applicants who submit resumes, the top three for each position will face a series of questions from each agency in front of a live audience — mostly consisting of the other applicants.

If you want in, you better act quick. The contest deadline is tomorrow (April 19).

At the end, the lucky winning contestant will probably walk away with an awesome summer internship — though, in a typical wet-blanket legal fine print, there is no binding guarantee. (Then again, that’s pretty much how the real Dating Game worked.)

According to Jake Nyberg, head of MIMA’s Student Outreach Committee, the event itself will be pretty tongue-in-cheek, playing on the parallels between flirting and internship-seeking. So far, a quick look at the beautiful, intern-designed contest page reveals that A.) the event is pretty popular and B.) there are some good-looking people in the Twin Cities. But Nyberg tells me there haven’t been a ton of applicants in the user experience and interactive developer categories, so techies have really good odds right about now.

The bad news? If you want in, you better act quick. The contest deadline is April 21 at noon Central Time.

To enter, head to The Intern Game website and read the official rules. And make sure you can get to Minneapolis next week.

Among the perks of doing a summer internship in Minneapolis: You won't have to experience winter in Minneapolis. (Credit: Jon Platek)

Lauren Israel (@LaurenIZrael on Twitter) is a senior at the University of Arizona. If you like this post about networking strategies at career fairs, check out her professional blog, Motivational Mondays.

Lauren Israel

Picture this: You’ve finally found a career path that interests you.  In order to find the right position, you start to research companies within the industry. Say you find a company in particular, that strikes your attention as a place you could see yourself working. After taking necessary steps to put together a resume, references, and ultimately, a portfolio, you sit wondering how you can catch this company’s attention.  In fact, as a young adult you may wonder, “How do I get the attention of any company?”

I remember sitting in your shoes wondering the same thing. A misconception exists among college students that it is impossible to find a paid internship or full-time job that one is interested in after graduation. If you believe this, I guarantee you will not succeed in the job market. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard the words “good luck, it’s tough out there” or “nobody is hiring right now” from recent college graduates. To be honest, hearing things like that motivated me more to find the right position at the right company. I am someone that molds uncertainty into action. If you can stick to that mindset, you will make progress in your field of interest.

Success is gratifying, but it is definitely a challenge to get there. As a college graduate, success revolves around graduation itself and finding a job. We all know how you get to the actual graduation part, but how do you get the job?  The best way, I have found, to get a job or internship is to get and stay connected.  Many young people strive to make their own connections, but you should never be afraid to ask a friend, family member, or teacher if they have connections in your industry of interest.  I have gone as far as to ask new acquaintances if they know someone in advertising or marketing.  There is no harm in asking, right? Right.

Career fairs are a great networking opportunity -- even if you're not looking for a job at the company you're talking with.

I was surprised to hear from my new acquaintance that they did indeed have someone I could connect with for an informational interview. After having success in simply asking, “Can you connect me?” I decided to find other tools to get connected with people in the advertising and marketing industry. My goal was to build a CRM – or Customer Relationship Management Excel Sheet — that would help me stay connected and current with people I meet in the industry.

There are three tools I have used to help me find connections. They are:

1. Face-to-face communication
2. Career websites
3. University career fairs.

Career websites like Internships.com can be a fantastic way to reach out to recruiters and human resources within companies.  I have been contacted by various companies in the past by simply sending my resume to a particular job listing. Also, I attended the University of Arizona Career Fair where I met representatives from Target, Yelp and Zoosk.

Target actually asked me to come in for an interview, but it was not for the job of my choice. Instead of throwing out the offer, I asked the HR person if she could connect me with anyone in brand development. By simply asking, “Can you connect me?”, I potentially opened the door to a new opportunity within the company.

90% of schools have career fairs where students can network with business professionals.  You may not find the job of your dreams, but like me, you could find a connection. Through staying current with my connections, updating my resume and continuing building my online presence, I was able to get the internship of my dreams at a global PR and digital communications company. If I can make my professional dreams come true as a young graduate, so can you.

Career fairs. Job fairs. Internship fairs.

I am a big fan of these. The reason I got my first internship (which led me to this amazing first job) was because of a career fair on campus. We found one of our amazing interns Tracey at an internship fair. You hardly ever will get to meet with a bunch of different companies in one place (the internet doesn’t count). AND, there’s always I-don’t-need-it-but-really-really-want-it s.w.a.g.

I’m biased, obviously, but there are some really simple ways to make a huge difference in the way you approach these fairs.

1. Go down the list of companies that will be attending and do some homework. Google them. Find them on Facebook and Twitter. Have something to talk about when you get to the table. “So what do you guys do?’ is not the question you want to start with.
2. Wear a decent outfit. Business casual is best, but even a pair of nice jeans with a polo shirt or blouse would be better than your gym outfit.
3. Don’t walk by, snatch up some s.w.a.g. while you think we aren’t paying attention, and speed walk away without saying a word. I know, our company branded stress balls are really awesome and you absolutely need to have one, but really – that’s just rude.
   

   Don't steal s.w.a.g. and run. They don't like that.

4. Follow up with the employers you met with. Mention something from your conversation that they might remember you by, and attach your resume even if you handed it to them at the fair. Let them know why you’re interested in working for them and why you’d be a great addition to that specific company.

Last thing: don’t just go up to the “popular’ companies. Disney is amazing, but the huge line at their table and appearance at every single career fair in the country means that they are meeting LOTS of people. Check out the local employers and smaller companies that you may not have heard of, your chances of being noticed and remembered are much higher.

If anything with these fairs,you’re learning how to talk to complete strangers that you want to impress.

–Synthia

It's me!

Today’s the day. The career fair at your school begins in about an hour, and you’re wondering what you should wear, if it matters, and what you should bring with you.  How’s the interaction between you and the employers going to be facilitated?  Before going to my first career fair, I too had all of these questions lingering in my mind.  Here are the answers that I wish someone would have been there to tell me.

“What do I wear to a career fair?' Your attire should be business causal. Boys, you don’t necessarily need to wear a suit and tie, but nice slacks and a polo or some sort of collared shirt would be beneficial.  Girls, heels and/or a skirt are not necessary, but a collared shirt, or a nice blouse and flats would be appropriate.

“What do I bring with me to a career fair?' When prepping for a career fair, make sure to bring about 10-15 copies of your resume, and thought out questions to ask various employers.  You would be surprised at how many employers at career fairs hold onto resumes that they receive from interested students. Bring  copies of your resume just in case.

“How should I speak to employers at career fairs?' Always maintain a business professional tone with employers at career fairs. Remember,the fair is set-up to give you an opportunity to learn all about various companies,it is not the time for you and an employer to share your life stories.

Take advantage of the career fairs at your school, and/or in your neighborhood.  You never know whom you will meet, or what company will interest you.

Until next time, Adios!

Best,

Tracey L.