Step one - Look back

So the first step in going forward should involve taking a look back. Think back to your fall career fair experience and answer the following questions:

• What companies did I talk with?
• Did I talk with enough?
• Even the ones I wasn't all that interested in?
• What companies did I hear back from?
• What companies did I not hear back from.
• Was I pleased with the those who called me back?
• What companies offered me an interview?
• Did I take the interview even if I wasn't interested in the company?
• How did the interview go?
• Did I achieve my goal for the career fair?

You want to evaluate your fall career fair performance and get a plan together for the spring effort. Maybe that last question should be your first question for the spring fair. What am I trying to achieve? Am I looking for a summer job? Am I seeking some interview experience? Am I looking for a real job?

Take this time to research the companies that were there. Figure out what they do, and if you want help them do it. All too often students wait until the night before to start doing research and then they end up with a head full of information about so many companies and it gets hard to remember who does what.

It is actually a nice thing to be able to attend multiple career fairs in a single year. You will get more comfortable in selling yourself and what you have to offer, and the recruiters will pick up on this and they will be calling you back. Trust me. I know.

Stop back tomorrow for another tip.