Ten Reasons to go to the Fall Career Fair

The Meruelo Family Center for Career Development is hosting the Fall Career Fair on Tuesday, September 17 from 4:00-8:00pm. Over 200 employers will be in attendance to recruit Notre Dame students for internships, externships, and full-time positions! However, this can be intimidating, especially for newcomers to the networking scene. I sat down with Anita Rees, career counselor for non-profit and public sector industries, for her top ten reasons why everyone, regardless of grade, major, or industry interest, should stop by the Fall Career Fair:

1. Explore broadly

There will be over 200 employers at the fair, so if you’re not sure what you want to do yet, it is a great opportunity to talk with a broad range of recruiters from different industries.

2. Build relationships with recruiters and alumni

Network, network, network! Talking to recruiters and alumni, even if you aren’t looking for an internship yet, will be incredibly useful in your future job search.

3. Practice your thirty-second elevator pitch

This is your chance to perfect your pitch, which should be a brief introduction of yourself that shows employers the goals and skills that make you a good candidate for their company. At the fair, try introducing yourself to some companies you are less interested in and work up to talking to recruiters from your dream companies. By the time you are talking to your dream firms, you will have had plenty of practice.

4. You won’t get this opportunity again

There are over 200 employers attending the Career Fair for the sole purpose of talking to YOU, just because you go to Notre Dame. You won’t have access to recruiters like this once you graduate, so take advantage of it now!

5. Learn about a huge arena of opportunities that exist

There are a huge number of employers coming, each with a variety of opportunities, so you are bound to learn something new. You never know what you might find!

6. Get an interview

Many employers have on-campus interviews the days after the career fair, and this is a great time to work towards a summer internship or post-grad opportunity.

7. Find out about the experience and skills you can build to be a competitive candidate next year

If you don’t find anything this year, that’s perfectly fine - this is a good time to figure out how to make yourself a better candidate for employers next year.

8. Ask about opportunities that might not be posted

Sometimes a company might send recruiters for just one department, but don’t be afraid to ask about opportunities in other departments. If you’re marketing or design, there might not be a recruiter there for your industry - but most companies have a marketing department that might be of interest to you!

9. Build your brand

The fair is a good time to make a reputation for yourself - talk to recruiters, share what you’re passionate about, build your network, and lay the foundation for your future.

10. Practice a professional appearance

Dress for success! Figure out what your style is for professional situations, and which shoes are most comfortable for networking.