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Preparing for Career Fairs
Rosanne Lurie, Senior Associate Director
University of Pennsylvania Career Services
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Agenda
• FAQs about Career Fairs
– Benefits, how to prepare, which items to bring, what
happens there
• Networking at Career Fairs
– Your introductions
– Talking about your research
• Resume Essentials
• Some Basic Career Fair Advice
• Q&A
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FAQs about career fairs
• What are the overall benefits of career fairs?
– An opportunity for you to identify possible career paths,
or to rule out unsuitable ones
– An opportunity for you to start thinking about a Plan B in
case Plan A does not work out
– An opportunity for you to identify actual steps you can
take over the next 6-12 months to make yourself a better
candidate in the future
– An opportunity for you to gain additional information and
contacts = networking
– An opportunity for you to practice introducing yourself to
employers = networking
– An opportunity to apply for jobs!
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FAQs about career fairs
• Besides being at this workshop, what should I do to
prepare?
– Prepare your resume, and what you will say to employers
– If there are companies/industries at the fairs that you want
to learn more about, you need to investigate ahead of time:
• View the list of companies – PennLink or listserv
messages
• View the company websites
• Reach out to people in your network to learn more
• View the Vault & Wetfeet industry guides
• Think about whether you are a good match
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FAQs about career fairs
• If I’m uncertain about career paths; how are fairs helpful?
– Some fairs have employer presentations associated with
them the day before, during the fair, or the day after
– Explore the types of jobs advertised by the employers (e.g.,
on their website, PennLink)
– Think about how your skills and experiences match the
requirements of the positions, then chat with employers
• Ask informed questions to employers at fairs that can
actually give you actionable information:
“I have a year left of my research, but I am looking to
transition into careers in your industry. From my research
I know your company values X, and so I was wondering
what type of skills you are looking for in candidates?”
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FAQs about career fairs
• What should I bring to a Penn career fair?
– your resumes, in a folder
– Some paper for note taking
– A means to carry the materials you will pick up at the
fair (folder works fine, or bag)
– List of companies that interest you
– PennCard
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FAQs about career fairs
? What happens at a career fair?
• Employers send recruiters and sometimes
employees of departments that are hiring
and/or alumni of Penn
• Employers answer questions about their firm
and their hiring processes
• Employers take in a first impression of you;
sometimes they take your resume
This is the beginning of relationship building
between you and the company/organization
• the secret to career fairs is treating the event as
a networking opportunity, not like a one-stop-
shopping expedition
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Networking
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So what is networking?
If you have cultivated many friends, colleagues, clients, or
collaborators, you are networking
• Looking for people who can support your career progress
– Using their knowledge, their contacts, their connections, or
their recommendations about you
– If you have strategically used your contacts to find info or
seek out new opportunities, you have already networked
– Build and MAINTAIN relationships over time
At career fairs:
• Asking employers how your unique skills and knowledge
could best be applied at their organization
• Speaking with Penn alumni who are representing their
employers about their career pathway
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Networking is…
• An opportunity for you to share information about
yourself
– As part of a mutual exchange of information and ideas
between individuals
At career fairs:
• You can just ask questions…
• BUT, you will make a better impression
by talking confidently and positively
about yourself, your research, and your
skills, interests and experiences
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Let’s get introduced
• Introduce yourself to your neighbor as you might if
you were introducing yourself to an employer
– You have 60 seconds!
• Listen to their 60-second introduction
– Listen for ways their introduction differs from yours
• What were you most interested in hearing about when
you were the listener?
• How did you try to structure your own introduction?
– What do you think are the most important topics to
cover in 45-60 seconds?
– How do you end your introduction?
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The most important tool for networking
• Your introduction! “Elevator Pitch”
– Answers the “tell me about yourself” question
– Can start the conversation
• A general introduction can include:
– Some info about relevant work/research/academic
experience and achievements
– A little about your key skills and interests – what you can
do really well, and how you are looking to apply them
– A confident statement about your future plans/goals
– Some overall idea of how the person you are talking with
can help you (if they can help you)
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Talking about your research
• If it is appropriate to do so at a career fair…
– Your description must be relevant to the person
who asked the question – and very concise
• General subjects to address:
– What you do, and how you do it
– Why what you do is important (to your field/the
world/to the job you are applying to)
At career fairs:
• Depending on who you are talking to, the very specific research
topic you have spent years working on may not be at all important
to the person listening.
• Consider: what non-technical skill has allowed you to be
successful in your line of research?
• Give an example of how you have used this skill
14 Talking about your research
Blah blah tripto-2-3-hexase…
blah blah pseudo poly-resonant
cultural discourse… blah blah
Keep smiling and
nodding; perhaps
he’ll make sense
eventually
Why are we
meeting in
this dark,
creepy room?
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Let’s get re-introduced
• Practice helps…
• Find someone else and introduce yourself again?
– Listen to their introduction
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Let’s get re-introduced
• Practice helps…
• Find someone else and introduce yourself again?
– Listen to their introduction
• Did anyone talk specifically about their research?
• Did everyone understand what they said?
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Yes, don’t bother putting
your glasses on, headless
co-worker, this one has 3
typos in it – let’s toss it
Creating a Resume
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Resumes = currency of career fairs
• Transactions that occur at career fairs:
– Be prepared to give your resume to employers
– Always ask for business cards from employers
– Generally, business cards are not given to employers
• Resumes need to be tailored
– At least for industry (e.g., consulting, pharma, non-profit,
writing, general business, financial, tech, etc.)
– Perhaps even for employers (based on research on who
will be attending fairs)
• Keep it concise, and ensure it is easy to read over quickly
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• Contact information*
• Objective
• Summary or profile
• Education*
• Relevant coursework
• Technical skills
• Specialized skills
• Relevant experience*
• Leadership activities
• Service/volunteering
• Honors and awards
• Languages
• Other experience
*required/expected
• Contact information
• Education
• Dissertation/thesis topic
• Postdoc training/fellowships
• Awards
• Research experience
• Publications
• Teaching experience
• Abstracts and presentations
• Symposia/lectures
• Professional affiliations
• Research grants
• Certifications/licensure
• Committee appointments
RESUME (skills) CV (experience)
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Resume speed
• Recruiters may only spend 30 seconds reviewing
resumes
– If your skills aren’t obvious then you are not maximizing
your chances of getting noticed
• Quickly look at your resume and write down the 3-4
main points/skills/experiences you want to get across
– i.e., what information would you want an employer to
walk away with?
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Resume speed – quick review exercise
• Swap your resume with someone else who has a
resume (those without resumes will sit this one out)
– You will have 30-60 seconds to review the resume
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• What struck you most about the resume you read?
• What key information did you walk away with?
• What was the one point that was most memorable?
• What general feedback would you offer to improve it?
Resume speed – quick review exercise
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Resume = skills in action
• Your resume will need to:
– Be concise and error free
– Articulate the match between you and the position type
– Sell your relevant skills, by illustrating them in action
• Good teamwork and management skills
• Worked with team on research projects
• Oversaw progress of team towards completing research
• Oversaw 5-person team working on research
• Oversaw 5-person team comprised of researchers from 3 departments by
developing action plans for research project, resulting in effective completion of
project on-time and under budget.
Be skill &
outcome specific:
add quantifiable
elements to make
your experiences
believable
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Professional experience
• Think in terms of experience (e.g., skills in action),
not employment, work history, or education
– You may have different experience sections (e.g.,
‘technical’, ‘leadership’, ‘problem-solving’, ‘writing’)
• Use action verbs! Avoid passive voice & phrases like
“Responsibilities included” or “Duties were” – why?
– Not: “Duties included operation, maintenance, student
training and certification of users for X-ray
Fluorescence spectrometer”
• Translate specialized skills and interests into everyday
language as needed
• Include internships/unpaid positions if they’re relevant
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Objective (optional)
• Targeted statement clearly stating type of job you want
– Not “To get a challenging position utilizing skills and
experience with the opportunity for advancement”
• Good objectives are very specific:
– “Desire position in management consulting company requiring
outstanding verbal, analytical & team-work skills”
– “Position as analytical chemist in semi-conductor development
company, specializing in transmission electron microscopy”
– “To work with design & development of new computer
systems with special interest in microprocessor application”
– “Position in public opinion polling or consumer product
market research using skills in survey design & statistical
analysis”
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Summary or Profile section (optional)
• A summary of relevant skills, experience, knowledge
and accomplishments.
– Often more relevant than an objective
• Be specific! Tailor this section to the job you’re
applying to, & help employer focus on your strengths
– “Experienced scientist with expertise in microarray
technology. Exceptional leadership abilities and
outstanding oral and written communication skills. Able
to work effectively as part of multidisciplinary teams”
– “Two years of experience serving as liaison between
community groups & government agencies. Familiarity
with budget preparation and administration. Skill at
public speaking and negotiating working relationships
between public and private sector organizations.”
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Teaching – as an example
Instead of:
• Teaching Assistant, University of Pennsylvania
– Tasks included leading discussion, guiding student lab
work, and evaluating student work. Delivered lecture
on elementary principles of microbiology.
– Tasks included preparing teaching materials, leading
discussion, guiding student lab work, creating class web
page and evaluating student work.
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Teaching – as an example
Try:
• Teaching Assistant, University of Pennsylvania
– Taught biology twice a week to class of 25 students
– Developed and delivered presentations on a variety of
complex topics for audiences ranging from 25-150 people
– Designed website that contained links related to course
material, including help on conducting literature reviews
– Chaired group discussions that aired ideas and reached
consensus on changes to introductory biology curriculum
– Supervised 50 students working on lab-based research
projects
– Counseled 20 students on their academic progress
*Note the “Action Verbs”
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Research skills
• Contributed to and led multiple research programs on
redesign and synthesis of antitumor anthraquinone
pluraflavin A. Working toward completion of the total
synthesis of ET-743 as well as additional analogs for
biological evaluations and structure-activity relationships.
• Collaborate with several postdoctoral researchers & graduate
students to ensure successful & timely project completion
• Manage and mentor 2 undergraduate researchers
• Design lab protocol & revise approaches during research
• Published research on formal synthesis of ET-743 in 2 peer-
reviewed scholarly journal articles
• Presented research at symposium with over 300 attendees
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Some general tips
• Have a plan of action
– Who you will visit, what you want to discuss, what
steps will happen after the fair
• Give yourself plenty of time at fairs
• As a postdoc or graduate student in career fairs that
include undergrads, distinguishing yourself is
important
• Don’t ask these questions:
– “So…, what does your company do?”
– “I don’t have any questions for you, but can I just give
you a copy of my resume?”
– “Looking at my resume, what do you think I could do
at your company?”
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Take a Bow! A perfect introduction – firm handshake, smile and good eye contact!
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Take Care! Consider putting your bags on your left shoulder so that they don’t slip
down and knock everything off the table as you reach to shake hands!
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Take a Bow! Have plenty of copies of your resume available to hand to employers.
Keep resumes separate from the materials you gather at the fair.
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Take Care! Cups full of liquid have the tendency to spill when you least want them
to. Always keep your right hand free to shake hands with the employer.
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Take a Bow! Career fairs can get crowded: try to enjoy yourself at the event, and
always project a positive, lively persona. Employers meet many
people, help yourself be noticed.
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Take a Bow! Dressing appropriately is especially important when you know you
will be talking to employers who are evaluating your “professional”
person. First impressions mean a lot at these events.
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Take Care! Work schedules may not permit it, but business casual is usually better
than casual at career fairs. Take every opportunity to sell yourself.
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Career Fairs and Online Resources
• Upcoming career fairs you might be interested in:
– Career Link – September 10 and 11
(business opportunities)
– Engineering Career Day – September 12
– Policy and Government Career Fair – September 27
– Biomedical & Life Sciences Career Fair (PhD students and
postdocs only) – October 2
– International Opportunities Fair – October 24
• Videos on preparing for fairs, and advice from alumni/employers:
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/careerfairadvice.php
– Career fairs for people not seeking jobs:
http://ulife.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/blog/?p=2949
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Questions?
