College of Engineering Career Fairs

Not sure where to start? Read below for tips on how to prepare for a virtual career fair or attend one of our career fair prep sessions!

Make sure your resume is polished and presentable

• Should be neatly formatted with relevant content. Examples: ecc.uic.edu/resume.
• Make sure to check for spelling and grammar errors. Visit us for a resume review if you need help updating.
• Claim your Handshake account, then upload your resume to Handshake and complete your profile.

Research the employers you plan on meeting

• Employers appreciate when you know about their business and hiring needs.
• Do your homework on the employers you plan to meet: view the list of registered employers.
• Besides visiting company websites, check LinkedIn, Glassdoor and news articles or blog posts to find up-to-date information on the companies you are interested in speaking with.
• The more you know about your target employers, the more confidence you will have when meeting them at the career fair!

Prepare an elevator pitch

• An elevator pitch (30-45 seconds) is what you say when introducing yourself to an employer during the career fair.
• An elevator pitch typically includes your name, your major, year in school, and 1-2 highlights about yourself (e.g. a technical skill you know, a recent internship you had, a current project you are working on, etc.).
• Practicing your elevator pitch will give you confidence when meeting employers at the career fair (and will also impress the employer).

Dress to impress the employers

• Make your first impression with employers a positive one; attend the virtual career fair looking professional, neat, and tidy.
• Treat the career fair like you would a virtual interview: try to find a quiet place where there are not a lot of distractions. Tidy up the room you are in before you turn your camera on.
• If possible, all students should wear Business Professional attire when attending a career fair. Yes, even for a virtual fair!
• We realize many engineers will never wear suits on the job. But for career fairs, wearing in business professional attire will show employers that you are serious about obtaining a job or internship. Wearing sloppy clothes or casual attire at career fairs makes employers think that you are not serious about wanting a job.
• Definition of Business Professional attire: suits (blazer with pants, dress, or skirt), pressed blouses or collared shirts, ties, polished dress shoes, understated makeup & jewelry. Skirt/dress hemlines should reach the knee. Hair, including facial hair, should look clean and well-groomed.

Handshake

• Students will be required to claim their Handshake account to register for the virtual career fair.
• You should also fill out your profile on Handshake because employers who are attending the career fair will “pre-select” students before the fair for 10-minute one-on-one virtual interviews during the fair!
• Many employers attending the career fair will already have positions posted on Handshake.
• If possible, apply to positions on Handshake before attending the career fair. Employer will be impressed with your proactiveness!
• Some employers will host 30-minute group presentations during the virtual career fair. Make note of these before the fair so you don’t miss out due to bad timing!

What should I say to the employer?

• Stand out in a positive way by sharing a memorable story in your elevator pitch.
• Ask questions! Employers love it when students ask questions, it shows that you are truly interested in the company
• Ask for the employer’s contact info in order to follow up with the employer. They can’t provide their email? Get their full name and connect on LinkedIn so you can follow up with them.

How should I present myself?

• Employers notice how you carry yourself and your facial expressions say a lot.
• Maintain professional behavior, as if you are in interview mode the entire time.
• Remember video chat etiquette: Keep your microphone on mute when you are not speaking. If you can, try to sit in a quiet place so there’s minimal background noise.

Follow up with employers. This is arguably the most important step.

• Use the contacts you collected and follow up with your target employers over email or through LinkedIn.
• A brief email or personalized LinkedIn invite shows the employer your strong interest level in them.
• Here are some tips on writing a follow-up thank you note.
• Be patient. Employers/Recruiters are busy and will get back to you if they are interested.