Career Expos can be critical tools for job search success. Job-seekers may use Expos to get an internship or a job or use them as a networking tool. UNF’s Career Expos are conducted for the benefit of all UNF students and Alumni and UNF Career Services conducts their Expos during the fall and spring. To find out the dates for the next Career Expo, visit the Career Services website at www.unf.edu/dept/cdc.

Career Expos provide the opportunity to practice your interviewing skills in a less formidable environment than a formal interview. Use this experience to practice talking about what you have done, what you know and what you would like to do in the future. Career Services encourages Freshman and Sophomores to attend these events now. So, that as they get closer to the time when they need an internship or a full time job, they will be comfortable with the event and have potentially built relationships with some of the organizations that consistently attend the Career Expos.  Regardless of how you plan to take advantage of the next Career Expo, here are some key resources to help you make the most of the experience.

Research. Take the time to find out what companies will be represented BEFORE the day of the Career Expo. You should research information about the participating companies and organizations prior to approaching the recruiters. Use the Internet, news sources and Career Expo materials to learn about the companies you plan to visit. You can impress a recruiter by knowing about his or her company and can discuss its current situation. Broaden your focus and include many types of employers. For instance, you may not have considered working for a hospital, but hospitals recruit and hire professionals in many different fields (i.e. management, information systems, or health care).

Dress Professionally. Dress as if you are going to a formal interview. You only have one chance to make a first impression.  Leave backpacks, large purses or other bulky items in your car.

Bring the right information with you. Have a writing instrument and a legal pad available for taking notes. Carry your resumes in a professional portfolio or small briefcase. This will keep your resumes neat and handy and provides you with a place to collect business cards.  You should have 20-30 copies of your professional resume in an easy-to-read format on plain white or cream colored paper. Schedule a resume critique appointment with your Career Coordinator prior to the Expo to make sure your resume is well written and up-to-date.

Arrive Early. Recruiters are fresh and eager to meet candidates when the Expo first starts, but their ability to remember names, faces, and details of candidates diminishes as the day progresses.  Go early to ensure quality time with the recruiters.

Survey the Expo set up First. When you get to the Expo, don’t go into a frenzy of dropping-off resume. Sit down with the program guide provided at each Expo and decide on the order in which you will talk to recruiters.  While you are getting the lay of the land, pick up information from the tables. Information, as well as freebies such as pens, magnets, and stress balls is there for the taking. Gather information on companies of particular interest and sit down in the student lounge. Information may include company annual reports, brochures, and a list of open positions. Review the materials so that you have a starting point for conversation with each recruiter.

Prepare an Introduction. Nothing bothers a recruiter more than a student who approaches them and says, "Can you tell me a little bit about your company?" Recruiters don’t mind telling you about the company or about job opportunities that are available, but they do mind having to do all the work.  Better to have a booth speech that you give to the recruiter. You should have a well-practiced, short two to three minute introduction. Be direct! Tell the recruiter your name, your class year and whether you are interested in a full-time, part-time or internship position. You may then reveal your career interests, major and why you are interested in their company.  If you are gathering information, let employers know that you are only interested in materials and information. Remember to use good eye contact and a firm handshake!

Hone In. As you begin talking, the recruiter may ask you questions about yourself or tell you about the position. Ensure that you make eye contact and listen carefully for tidbits that are not mentioned in the written materials. Make sure you learn from the recruiter employment and/or hiring trends, skills necessary for different jobs, current openings, salary, benefits, training, and other information about the organization. Also make sure you know whom to contact for follow-up discussions.

If you are interested in the company or a position therein, ask the employer for the next steps in the recruitment process. Leave a resume and obtain the recruiter's business card for follow-up discussions/correspondence. Take a few minutes immediately after you leave each booth to write detailed notes about the contact(s) you made. Be sure to include the names of people who may not have had business cards.

Be sensitive to time. Recruiters are there to find many good candidates – not just one. Don’t monopolize a recruiter by taking all his/her time. If a line develops behind you, be sensitive to that. Say something like "Thank you so much for speaking with me. I see you have quite a line, and I don’t want to monopolize your time." Then, get out of the way. If you are particularly interested in making another contact, it is fine to come back again when the line has died down.

If a recruiter is speaking generally to another candidate, it is perfectly acceptable to join the conversation, make eye contact, and ask questions. It is not necessary to wait in a line for individual one-on-one attention, particularly if you plan to ask a similar question.

After the Expo. Follow-up is extremely important. Recruiters will collect hundreds of resumes at a Career Expo. If you are interested in applying for a specific position, go to the company website and apply directly using the company’s preferred format. Open your cover letter by indicating that you discovered the position at the UNF Career Expo and in speaking with a recruiter, you became convinced that this was the position for you. You may also want to follow up with an email to the recruiter directly, if that information is on the business card.

In the future, if other positions are advertised for that company, use your inside connection with the recruiter. Apply using the company’s preferred process and then send an email along with your resume to the recruiter you met at the Career Expo. That recruiter may or may not be working on that position, but could be provide the foot in the door that you need.

Final Thoughts
Career Expos don’t have to be intimidating. Remember that the recruiters are there to find you. Recruiters’ success is determined by sourcing appropriate candidates and funneling them toward the company. Remember that you are what they are looking for. Employing these success strategies is sure to make a difference in the kind, quantity and quality of your Career Expo interactions.

Written by: Shannon Italia, Director of the Coggin College of Business Career Management Center