What to ask at career fair

Hello,

there's an upcoming career fair in my school. I would like to use the opportunity to learn as much as possible about companies, so that I use this information later to answers questions like "Why this company" on interviews.

However, I am totally at a loss as of what to ask. What I really care about is:
1) My job to be challenging, interesting and stimulate my problem-solving and creative skills
2) Get paid well

However, I cannot inquire any of these on a career fair. I assume it's a good idea to learn something about the culture of each company, something particularly specific. Then, when I interview for them and they ask me why I like to work for them, I can give that information as an answer(the true reasons being hope for 1) and 2), which are not specific enough for a particular company and cannot be given as anwers).

Cam you please suggest some specific questions I can ask the representatives on the career fair?

 

Career fairs should be used to get business cards, which should then be used to send follow up emails, which should then be used to eventually secure a phone or in person meeting (depending on how fast you work and how cooperative the other guy is), which should then have helped you build enough rapport to ask your contact to recommend your resume for consideration during interview season. Don't bother wasting time thinking of specific questions unless you've done some legit research on a company and have an honest, well-informed question to ask.

People tend to think life is a race with other people. They don't realize that every moment they spend sprinting towards the finish line is a moment they lose permanently, and a moment closer to their death.
 

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that's a great link if you want to learn how to be annoying and generic.

"After you work on Wall Street it’s a choice, would you rather work at McDonalds or on the sell-side? I would choose McDonalds over the sell-side.” - David Tepper
 

At one career fair, a kid asked me, "So what do you guys like to do for fun?"

That kid got remembered.

Just relax, be yourself, and if you can, get the recruiter to talk about himself, what he does, or tell you a story. For some odd reason- I have no clue why- those questions tend to make you look a lot smarter and more interesting than intriguing questions about finance, accy, etc.

 

With a username like Alpha male you seem very beta!

A career fair and a networking event are two different things. At a career fair you have a purpose of getting an interview, at a networking event you have a purpose of getting a contact.

For networking you can just walk up to them and say Hi I'm Not an Alpha Male, and shake their hand. They'll say their name, then you ask what they do, because you want to talk to people that are already doing things, not other people there for the same reason you are, and then try to get them to talk about it, in a way that isn't work related. I know for me, after a day of work, the last thing I want to talk about is more work. Ask them about their school, what they did to get there, hobbies they do on the side to keep them sane, etc.

If I'm an IB analyst, and after working 80+hr weeks and I'm finally getting out to have some drinks at a networking event the last thing I want to do is go back to work talking about my work. I'll be getting an email in an hour anyways saying I have to go back to the office, so at least let me be free from work for now.

make it hard to spot the general by working like a soldier
 

It seriously baffles me how socially inept most kids are these days. Like really? If you don't know your purpose of going to a career fair, why are you going to a career fair? Does every social interaction in your life need a "script"??

Kids are such poor communicators these days. Smh.

 
Lucky Charms:

It seriously baffles me how socially inept most kids are these days. Like really? If you don't know your purpose of going to a career fair, why are you going to a career fair? Does every social interaction in your life need a "script"??

Kids are such poor communicators these days. Smh.

Calling people "kids" as someone who is likely within one/two years of this person's age... You're right though. Our generation needs a script for every interaction with someone who is outside of their normal pool of constituents. You make conversation with them like any other person and convey whatever information you need to.

 

you're in college, therefore you're a kid, c'mon dude.

OP, it's a career fair, it's their job to talk about the work, so your structure is fine, just make sure it's not 100% business.

if networking, keep it balanced between personal and business. your "script" should be a bunch of questions off of which you can ask more questions (it's not an interview, it's a conversation), with the anticipation that you'll make comments as appropriate to build rapport (e.g.: "oh, you went to Maryland? I'm a huge O's fan, how about them clenching for the 1st time in 14 years?!").

in both situations, 99% of your talking should be asking THEM questions if possible. granted, they will ask you questions to which you respond appropriately but succinctly. do NOT tell them your life story, give them enough information so that they learn about you, but not enough that their eyes glaze over. when in doubt, shut up (and this goes double for networking)

 

When I went to career fairs in school, I'd walk up and say hello, assuming that a company wasn't absolutely mobbed. I'd ask about the representatives career, say something like: "How did you choose this company?" "What do you like most about the company?". If the person went to your school, you can always reminisce about that. After this, to close ask if they'd like a copy of your resume and if you could get a business card. A few days later follow up with an email like this "Hello Mr. Smith, I really enjoyed talking to you at the XYZ Career Fair. I was intrigued by (insert something from the conversation). Do you think that we could speak in the next few weeks? Thank you, John Doe

 
Best Response

I treat career fairs a lot like networking stuff. Be nice, say hello, ask them one or two questions about what they do or why they like it and then shift that to non work stuff. So if it's someone who is in sales and trading and they like the pace, ask them about that and what activity out of work or event shaped this. Maybe they like the rush of traveling to hectic cities, being go go go out racing bikes or whatever. Then they will probably ask you something personal as well. Remember it's all about building a rapport. Everyone is going to ask them about work and their company. You have as well but are appealing to them as people not just a way to get in the door and being remembered positively increases your odds of getting in the door. At the end, ask for a card if they have not given you one, drop your resume, and be in touch with them. If they ask where you will be that night or the next day (assuming this is taking place in some area where you are not based), no matter what and without hesitation, say that you will be in the area of said career fair or event. Even if that means skipping class or work or whatever (don't tell them about the sacri you'll make either since most people will say they will be in touch and there is no need to stay etc, which probably filters you out). I speak from experience albeit a long time ago of NOT staying around and telling people that i was going back to campus (sure sounds dumb now) which meant that I missed out on a fair few networking and interview opportunities. Lesson learned and passing it on.

Good Luck

Ps to the people complaining about "kids" having no social skills today, let's be honest how many socially inept people are there in finance? A ton. Let's not be too harsh...

I used to do Asia-Pacific PE (kind of like FoF). Now I do something else but happy to try and answer questions on that stuff.
 

There is an excellent thread that was started a while back regarding this same question (I can't post the link but it's called "Tips for Conversations with Recruiters")

Read the thread because it will help you but in case you don't have the time, here are some general guidelines as per NoName:

1.) Be confident in your body language and voice.

2.) Have a list of questions and comments in the back of your mind, and use it when appropriate.

3.) Play to your strengths and market your unique brand.

4.) At the end of the conversation, ask if you can contact the recruiter for future questions.

Also here are my takeaways, again general but read the thread mentioned above for more detail:

1.) Don't hand your resume to the recruiter. Force them to ask for it.

2.) Figure out what peaks the recruiters interest and use that to your advantage.

3.) Remember that you are selling yourself as much as they are selling you their firm. Mention that you are interested in working for them at the conclusion of your conversation and mention specific program(s) if possible.

Hope this helps and good luck Alpha Male!

 

Just be cool and ask a mix of questions. Its obviously good to ask some question that are pertinent to the position, but at the same time its like flirting a little bit too. You can to capture their attention and make them remember you for things unrelated to work. One thing I've seen among a lot of driven kids is the tendency to ask a ton of really tough, interview like questions in an attempt to impress people.

While its ok to have some hard hitting questions to show that you know your stuff, feel out the conversation. Honestly one thing I find is a great conversation starter this time of the year is fantasy football. I've had a number of awesome convos regarding fantasy and to be honest I feel like I've made more progress talking about personal stuff than being a try hard who comes up while you're discussing sports and trys to bring the conversation back to work related stuff.

 

I would recommend researching companies so you can find a top 5 groups you want to talk to and a second tier 5 that you also might have interest. It might be easier on you to approach a company you're not as interested in at first so you get your mistakes out early before trying to impress someone you have in a higher tier.

Relax, and make sure you have your act together. If you can have some kind of memorable conversation, make sure you follow up with specifics in emails to the people you meet with, which will help them remember you. Thank them for taking the time, even if you weren't impressed. Working these from the other side is tough too, though it might not seem like it. View it as an appointment setting session to follow up via email to schedule calls with relevant people for more in depth information interviews. Good luck!

 

Best advice I can give is just open wide and relax your throat.

seriously tho, probably not much interest that you can generate as a freshman, they are there to do recruiting and there is literally nothing you can get recruited for. Career fairs are mainly for Juniors and Seniors, however banks have been known to occasionally take a sophomore for an internship in rare instances.

If you are seriously thinking about going I would just introduce yourself to the recruiters (chances are they will be the same people for the next year or two) and maybe see if you can get them to remember you for the next time around when you will actually be eligible for an internship.

 

Ask the recruiters a bunch of questions. Because you are a freshman, recruiters won't feel as obligated to sell you on their particular bank and the interaction will be more of an open conversation than anything else.

 

Unlikely you can generate any interest for a summer internship, but if you're very impressive, you can begin to build a relationship with these folks that you can slowly build for next summer or after. Be prepared with your elevator pitch and 1-2 questions you'd like to ask. Be respectful of their time because they are there to spend time with older students they will want to interview.

Here are a few additional tips 5 Common Career Fair Mistakes - http://bit.ly/2K668D

How to Make a Lasting Impression on the Recruiter at a Career Fair or Networking Event - http://bit.ly/CreXc

Gotta Mentor www.GottaMentor.com Connect to the Advice & People You Need to Achieve Your Career Goals

Gotta Mentor Connect to the Advice & People You Need to Achieve Your Career Goals
 

Check out who's attending via your Career Services website and draw up a list of those you want to target the most.

Try to arrive early (i.e., when it opens) to avoid the larger crowds towards the middle of the day.

Simply introduce yourself...if you've gone to any info sessions for any particular banks (I'll assume you haven't, though), you may want to target those first. In either case, go by and say hi, and ask them a few questions about how to best prepare yourself for future internship recruitment. Like TabulaRasa said, you want to keep a very open conversation at this stage.

Get business cards (that was kind of a "duh" statement), but also make sure you become a familiar face and name to them. That'll work in your favor come time for SA recruitment.

At this stage, you're just laying the groundwork and goodwill for future career fairs, so don't put too much pressure on yourself to be as smart or impressive as possible. As long as you leave them with the impression that you're smart and personable, you've done your job.

 
FutureGekko:
1.) Say helllo 2.) Handshake 3.) Elevator speech — name, year, major, activities, interests, classes, contact 4.) give resume and on to the next one?

Try to ask a question or two. Don't worry about giving them your resume. Focus on getting them to maybe remember your name, and hopefully give you a business card. If not, get their name and then use the banks email convention. Sending a follow up email will do a hundred times more than anything that happens at the actual fair.

 

At this point, the best thing you can do is get the names of the people you talk to, if not business cards. Even with just a name, you can figure out their email address by going online and finding the email format for their company.

Then within 24 hours, email them. Try to begin an email correspondance and stay in touch, then as you are looking at firms, ask them questions. Some people love to mentor, some don't, so get a few and you might get lucky on one or two. Emailing shows 1) you are interested, 2) that you know how to follow up, which shows good people and business skills, and 3) its really the only way they will remember you. Honestly. And it has to be within 24 hours, because if its too late, then it too out of the blue and they really won't remember who you are.

Good luck.

 

Easy, I'll break it down step by step: 1. Research what companies will be there so you can be intelligent about things. 2. Go to the booth of those firms and talk to the recruiters. 3. Ask about things that aren't easily researched online, find out some deals, new products, firm news and ask about that. 4. Ask for a business card. 5. Same day or day after, send a thank you. 6. A week out, send an email asking for an informational and if there is no response follow up a week later.

For an info session: 1. Research the firm. 2. See if you can find out who will be attending and research their background if possible. 3. After the presentation, approach alums and ask a few questions, don't be the asshole who hogs the presenter. 4. Ask for a business card. 5. Email a thank you and a week out ask for an informational interview.

 

Part of the purpose of a career fair is to resume drop. Definitely bring multiple resumes. As for how to act: It should really be a conversation between you (or a group of you) and the employer. Try not to make it so much of a question / answer session. Be sure to talk about yourself every now and then (not the whole time) or throw in stories that allude to your past successes / good character (but are subtle enough that it doesn't look like you're talking yourself up).

CompBanker’s Career Guidance Services: https://www.rossettiadvisors.com/
 

You sound like you got some moxie man. You'll piss off some recruiters and impress others. Keep that drive.

"Cut the burger into thirds, place it on the fries, roll one up homey..." - Epic Meal Time
 

I agree with vad.

hypothetically - say 90% are pissed/offended/whatever. 10% are really impressed. Would you have impressed that 10% if you just stuck to Purdue events?

It takes balls, but I think you've got nothing to loose.

Out of curiostity - what type of engineering are you studying? what type of position are you looking for?

 

How about this. Just lie at the career fair. Say you go to 'whatever college the career fair is at'... after you get the interview, continue the lie. When transcripts must be sent, forge one and send it in. Live the lie, die by the lie.

-cackmeliar

 

I know they recruit on campus heavily in the US, not sure about the UK though. Every school and company is different but if you are from a target school I would imagine they recruit there. Contact your career services department at our school to find out for sure, they would know.

 

I’m headed there myself in September. I’ve been talking to an MBB recruiter about this very issue and the response I’ve got is that there are recruiting events on campus and campus-specific deadlines to submit resumes. As far as I’m aware, we follow the standard online application process, but specify that we’re applying from LSE. (PM me if you want LSE’s 2009 calendar of deadlines, which, as they’ve told me, is a pretty close indication of what the 2010 deadlines will be).

If anyone knows other details, especially specific to LSE, I’d love to hear, as the recruiter with whom I’ve been speaking is out of Boston.

 

How in depth do you go? Not too deep. Read the recruiter's body language. If he/she keeps looking around or over you, then it's time for you to stop. Don't be a tool and keep asking random questions, give chance to others too.

When do you walk away (time limit)? Unless there is a clear interest in you, I'd say 3 - 5 minutes tops.

What questions to ask? Here are some questions I ask: How technical are the questions during interviews? What kind of specific qualities do you look for in SA/FT? If I have more questions before 1st round, who should I ask (try to get his business card)? How to prepare for interviews? How many SA/FT positions are open? How many students from this college are you planning on hiring?

Have about 20-25 copies of your resume in your hands ready to go. Not in folder, not in backpack, just 20 pages in your hands. I had a recruiter look over my resume during the career fair (it takes them less than 20 seconds to scan it)

How to stand out - in a good way that is? Gucci suit would do the trick :) Look neat, put on your nicest suit, don't look down. Strong hand-shake, smile when you ask questions. Don't be overly uptight nerd. If you see that the recruiter is not that busy, ask him/her how is their day going o far, etc.

P.S.: I was talking about undergrad job fair.

 

For what it's worth, i'll share my experience on the career fairs. Granted I am a undergraduate and this was a college campus career fair.

Out of the roughly 100 companies there, it was pure chaos so the maximum amount of time you'll spend talking to any one company is probably around 5-10 minutes. For more prestigious companies, there will be a mass crowd surrounding them so you're time will be very strictly watched. Smaller companies, with less demand, will more than likely be willing to talk for awhile so you could actually build rapport with the employer (don't expect any rapport from the bigger companies).

In the 5 minutes or so, you sell yourself obviously. So it's essentially a mini-interview, I've even had technical questions asked (but this was for comp sci). Some companies will literally take your resume and throw it in a pile, it did happen to me but it was fairly uncommon. Most of the "interviewers" will take notes while talking to you, or make a quick note after they're done talking with you. So on the surface it didn't appear to be just a resume drop.

Hope that helps some.

 
SirBarney:
For what it's worth, i'll share my experience on the career fairs. Granted I am a undergraduate and this was a college campus career fair.

Out of the roughly 100 companies there, it was pure chaos so the maximum amount of time you'll spend talking to any one company is probably around 5-10 minutes. For more prestigious companies, there will be a mass crowd surrounding them so you're time will be very strictly watched. Smaller companies, with less demand, will more than likely be willing to talk for awhile so you could actually build rapport with the employer (don't expect any rapport from the bigger companies).

In the 5 minutes or so, you sell yourself obviously. So it's essentially a mini-interview, I've even had technical questions asked (but this was for comp sci). Some companies will literally take your resume and throw it in a pile, it did happen to me but it was fairly uncommon. Most of the "interviewers" will take notes while talking to you, or make a quick note after they're done talking with you. So on the surface it didn't appear to be just a resume drop.

Hope that helps some.

Agree with this. Career fairs are like speed dating. You have maybe 5 minutes before the bell rings and you have to walk away. This is why it is crucial to prepare ahead of time.

Things to do: 1) Research companies the night before. Jot down a few notes in your pad-folio to reference while you are waiting in line to talk to someone.

1a) Have firm specific questions ready to go. Nothing impresses an interviewer like good, thoughtful questions.

2) Have business cards on hand at all times.

3) Know your goal: to have a conversation that leaves a positive impression. This isn't the time to research the company. Google was invented for a reason.

4) Be confident and relaxed going in. Do whatever it takes to get into this mental state going in. If you seem desperate you're DOA.

5) Always ask for a business card at the end of the conversation.

5a) Send a 1-2 sentence (MAX) follow up email at the end of the day.

Do these things successfully and you will be remembered in a positive light. Now all you have to do is remember to send the recruiter an email the day you apply. Boom, instant leg up for getting a 1st round.

 

How do you think you are going to get into IB talking to a guy in insurance?

I mean, go to the fair. You never know. Listen politely to the pitch of things that sound finance/investments related as nicely as you can and then mention you're considering options, including those in banking. It'll most likely be a waste of time but you might get some interesting leads.

This might work much better if you're talking to reps from a large commercial bank or insurance company with a lot of financial products (eg Allianz).

Your best bet is to talk to actual people in IB. If they aren't coming to you, go find them. Good luck.

 

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