How College Students Can Prepare for a Career Fair

In-person and virtual recommendations!

It’s almost spring — a time of new opportunities to conquer professional goals. First-year students and accomplished graduate students can benefit from networking with potential employers. Miami University offers resources and career fairs throughout the academic year to help students meet their professional goals after graduation. Let’s talk about why you should visit a career fair, how to prepare, and where to find all the resources available. 

Do Career Fairs Help College Students?

Yes. It may seem intimidating to talk to potential employers via a virtual meeting or to walk into a room full of strangers, but you will gain confidence in your career search and improve your chances of getting the job you want. Use this opportunity to talk to multiple potential employers in a single event! Read more on how career fairs can help students. Review the following steps to make the most of attending a career fair.

Step 1 – Find Support and Resources with Campus Career Centers

Get to know your campus career center for job-related resources, a list of upcoming events, to schedule an appointment, resume help, and more. The centers have a knowledgeable and caring staff who want to help you succeed! Virtual appointments are available if you are online or can’t get to campus.

• Undergraduate online students should visit Regionals Career Services and Professional Development.

• Graduate online students can find support with the Center for Career Exploration and Success.

Step 2 – Plan to Attend a Career Fair and Add it to your Calendar

Miami University hosts Career and Internship Fairs every Fall and Spring semester. As a timely reminder, a few career fairs are happening this month. It’s important to register so that employers know that you’re coming, and you’ll be more likely to follow through on your commitment.

Step 3 – Research the Companies in Attendance 

Once you register, the Handshake app should provide a list of the participating companies. If you need assistance, check with the career services staff.

• Get an idea of what companies will be there.
• Know some information about the companies to help start conversations.
• Plan out who you want to talk to.

Step 4 – Create or Update your Résumé 

• Résumé tips
• Find dozens of free, editable résumé templates with Google, Canva, or Microsoft Word.
• Add work experience, volunteering, coursework, research if applicable, and internships. 
• Making the best impression on possible employers requires marketing all of your experience. 
• You will also want to be sure your resume is error-free and formatted correctly.
  • Run spell check
  • Consider creating a free account with Grammarly or another app to get basic feedback on your content.
• Campus career centers will also review your résumé and give you recommendations.

Step 5 – Create and Practice an “Elevator Pitch”

• An elevator pitch is an approximately 30-second summary of who you are, what you’ve done up to this point, and the opportunities you seek.
• Practice with friends, faculty, and career staff to get helpful feedback.
• Check out this list of elevator pitch examples.

Step 6 – Dress for Success

Decide on what to wear; make sure it’s clean and presentable. 

• First impressions matter! 
• Avoid jeans, sweats/workout gear, t-shirts, hats, flip-flops, and similar articles of clothing at a minimum — this is a good rule for virtual interviews, too. 
• Ask yourself, “How good of an impression can I make?” vs. “How relaxed of an outfit can I get away with?” 
• Err on the side of overdressed vs. underdressed.
• Plan ahead — resources may be available to help obtain an outfit for free or at a discount.
  • Shop online with JC Penny with their Suit-Up Event for Spring 2025 – Save with a discount code.
  • Make an appointment to visit the Regionals’ Professional Clothing Closet, where you can “shop” for professional attire at no cost to you.

Be attentive, courteous, and ask questions! 

• Be present — avoid looking at your watch, phone, etc., when talking to employers. 
• Pay attention — ask follow-up questions; show you’re invested in the discussion. 
• Don’t interrupt — be courteous — even if you hear something you don’t like. 

Collect contact information

• Get business cards, a LinkedIn profile, or other digital contact info.
  • Pro tip — Always look at the card before stuffing it in your pocket!
• Confidently offer a copy of your resume.

Stay on Track

• Carefully budget your time — allow enough time to talk to everyone you hope to. 
• Be careful not to monopolize an employer’s time for too long! 
• Make a positive impression. 

Get a Headshot Photo

If there is an opportunity to get a free headshot at the career fair, please take a moment to do this for yourself and your digital profile. A professional photographer will be at the in-person career fair at Miami Regionals on March 6, 2025.

• You will receive a digital file in the coming weeks after the event.

Step 8 – What to do After the Career Fair

Follow up with prospective employers

• A follow-up email within 48 hours is a great way to clinch a good first impression.
  • Attach your résumé. (Remember, interviewers talked to dozens, if not hundreds, of students that day.)
  • Try to point out one or two things from the conversation — this will help put a face to the name. 

Debrief

• Text, type, or write some notes.
  • What did you do well?
  • What do you need to work on? 
  • Plan to improve on at least one challenge before the next opportunity. 
  • Go over your top strengths and areas for improvement (as objectively as possible). 

What if I Can’t Attend a Career Fair?

We encourage you to take advantage of these events, but other opportunities are available to network and enhance your job search.

• Complete a free Miami Online LinkedIn Course to help develop your digital profile.
• Talk to your professors — they are well-connected in their fields.
• Make a list of family and friends you can connect with.
  • You may also have connections with people at volunteer organizations or your place of worship.
• Ask the career center if they can help connect you to alumni of your program.
• Contact people you admire or who work in a field you’re interested in for a 15-minute informational interview. Generally, most people enjoy talking about themselves and what they do. Many people are willing to help, but you have to ask. Thank them for their time.

Ready to Get Started?

Attending career fairs, networking, and job searching can be stressful, but breaking down the tasks into small steps is helpful. Celebrate small wins if this is your first or fifth time. You will grow and feel more confident as you meet people and polish your skills. Good luck!

Do you still have questions?

Contact one of Miami University’s career centers to talk to knowledgeable staff.

Undergraduate students

Career Services and Professional Development

miamiregionalscareer@MiamiOH.edu

513-727-3390

Graduate students

Center for Career Exploration and Success

careercenter@MiamiOH.edu

513-529-3831

Content compiled and written by Carrie Geygan, Digital Content Specialist, Miami Online. Miami Online gratefully acknowledges the Miami University Regionals’ Career Services and Professional Development staff for contributing to the content of this post.