After the Career Fair: What’s Next?

By: Peer Career Coach Dahun Mamora

Woohoo! Congratulations on attending the Illinois Tech career fair. So now, what’s next? In this post, I will share tips on things you need to do, now that the Illinois Tech career fair is over.

• Follow up: I’m confident you had interesting conversations with representatives from the companies at the career fair. Send a note to the employers you spoke to and re-express your interest in the company and specific jobs you are interested in. This will help those employers keep you in mind. Remember these employers spoke to hundreds of students at the career fair. You want to be one of the few that stands out, by sending a follow up email.
• Stay connected: Your network is your net worth; consequently, be deliberate about expanding your network. It has been found that most job openings are never advertised; however, those that know about such openings are usually informed my internal sources. Consequently, continue to build relationships with potential employers, by connecting with them on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is an excellent professional networking platform. So connect with recruiters you talked to at the career fair on LinkedIn and other employees at companies you desire to work at.
• Keep networking: Do not limit yourself to only Illinois Tech career fairs for networking opportunities. It is beneficial to attend either local and national conferences / networking events to hone your professional skills and position yourself in securing your dream job. Some national conferences you can consider attending are the National Society of Black Engineers conference, the Society of Women Engineers conference and American Institute of Chemical Engineers conference (to name a few). At these conferences, you can network with industry professionals. Also, companies, such as Google, Facebook, ExxonMobil, who do not attend the Illinois Tech career fair are present at these national conferences, seeking to recruit and hire talent.
• Practice for interviews: As it is commonly said, “the best time to look for a job is when you do not need a job”. Similarly, the best time to practice for interviews is when you do not yet have an interview. You build more confidence when you practice for interviews early. Research the specific interview structure and possible interview questions for the jobs you are interested in. Glassdoor is an website to begin exploring possible interview questions.

I wish you all success on the job search. I am confident you have what it takes to excel in your career!