Author: Claire Baum

It’s that time of year again. You guessed it – time to put on a suit and stand in front of a ton of very intimidating people who could potentially employ you. You both have something to offer one another, so why is it so dang awkward?

Attending a career fair is sort of like trying to learn how to salsa dance with someone you don’t know very well: make one wrong move and it becomes extremely uncomfortable for everyone. To make matters worse, you’re in a giant public area (aka Barton Hall). That means everyone behind you witnesses your every little blunder or faux pas you might make. We’ve put together a few tips to help you avoid those awkward moments.

1. Make sure you research the positions and companies you’re planning to see in advance.

Know a little bit about them. Check the ‘attending’ list on Handshake. Do your best to avoid going in blind (when people tend to get off track and ask silly questions). Try not to ask recruiters questions you could’ve easily googled.

 

2. Perhaps more importantly, make sure you’ve thoroughly researched the industry that your target careers are in.

Particularly if you’re looking for a job in finance, make sure you know the general financial structure of most banks. Know what you’d be doing day-to-day and what kind of work/life balance to expect. It’s one thing to memorize a written job description, it’s another to know what it actually entails.

 

3. Put an “interests/activities” section on your resume.

Do what you have to do to make room for one on your one-page resume.This can really help reduce the awkward tension of approaching a company because it makes you seem more personable. If the recruiter happens to connect with one of your interests and you’re qualified, you’ll be in a much better place.

 

4. Make a check-list of things to bring.

It sounds ridiculous, but when you get to the fair and realize that everyone has nice metal pens and all you have is a chewed-up bic, you’re going to feel a bit awkward.

 

5. Know when to make your exit.

If you’re running out of things to ask or say, it’s better to shake the recruiter’s hand and call it a day. Monopolizing a recruiter when you don’t have enough substance to go on can make you look inconsiderate towards the other people waiting in line behind you.

 

With that said, best of luck to all of you! Yay employment! Yay being a real person!