A college career fair is an event hosted by colleges and universities to give students opportunities to learn about employment opportunities and make potential networking connections. Most large colleges will have at least one college career fair per semester so students can have as many options as possible to attend. A number of different area employers will attend the career fair, hoping to recruit new college graduates, or even individuals looking for internships. Volunteer and non-profit organizations are also often found at university career fairs.
Students are encouraged to dress professionally and bring polished resumes to hand out to potential employers at a college career fair. It can help them to make connections in the local area, or learn about opportunities for internships or travel. It is best for students to be prepared to ask questions, discuss their career goals, and talk the types of jobs they are looking for upon graduation. Students who make good impressions at a college career fair could even be offered a job interview or asked to fill out a job application.
Employers can benefit from these events as well. Though it takes some effort and expense to create materials to distribute, and set up and man a booth or table at the fair, it is often worth it to meet a large number potential future employees at once. Students who are soon to be college graduates are enthusiastic about learning about potential opportunities, and may be interested in taking entry level or internship positions that might be more difficult to fill with more experienced workers. A college career fair can also help employers match up a name and a face to a resume, which may help in the decision making process if certain students made particularly good or bad impressions.
If nothing else, a college career fair can be an excellent information gathering session. Students should keep in mind that they are generally not limited to attending the career fair at their college, and can check out other fairs in the area as well to see if there are different employers represented. In addition, even students early in their college educations might consider attending a career fair to help them get an idea of what they might want to do, and possibly to make useful contacts. There is no harm in going to learn about opportunities even if you don't bring your resume to hand out.