Guide to Career Fairs
Career fairs are an opportunity for students, postdoctoral fellows, and alumni to connect with employers. Engage with recruiters from many different organizations and learn about the organization's culture, hiring practices, and current and future available job opportunities.
The U of A Career Centre hosts multiple career fairs each year. Careers Day, taking place each September, is the largest of the fairs, hosting over 100 employers and welcoming over 4,000 U of A students and alumni each year. Careers Day is a multi-discipline fair, along with the Spring Hiring Fair, which takes place each February. Other fairs hosted by the Career Centre include the Healthcare Industry Career Fair aimed at students from all programs who are interested in the healthcare industry, and the program-specific Education Career Fair.
Career Fairs are events where employers and professional organizations. As an attendee, you have the opportunity to connect one on one with representatives from a variety of organizations, and build your network by meeting with new potential employers.
Preparing for Career Fairs
Career fairs are valuable to attend regardless of where you are in your studies or your career planning. Fairs are a great opportunity to learn about different organizations and explore the career opportunities available, which can help spark new interests or deepen your understanding of existing career aspirations. We encourage you to consider your goals and intentions before attending a fair, such as talking to multiple employers, learning where your skills and experience are applicable, and exploring job opportunities such as finding a summer job or securing employment after graduation. Our Career Advisors can help you explore your career options and prepare for career fairs.
A list of employers attending each career fair can be found on each event’s individual page, linked here. Before the fair, you can learn about the employers who are attending, and prioritize the employers you want to connect with. Based on your research, create specific questions for the employers. These questions will help you learn about the company’s culture, their recruitment and hiring process, and more.
When researching employers, you may want to consider:
- Their location(s)
- Their main business purpose (ie. goods, products or services)
- Who they serve
- Check out their careers webpage, if applicable, or search for opportunities posted on campusBRIDGE
- Check out their social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- Run their name through a search engine to learn about recent news and information
- Creating a list of specific questions you have for employers is a good strategy.
Potential questions to ask employers:
- “Can you tell me more about opportunities within the organization?”
- “What type of roles have U of A grads held at the organization previously?”
- “What kind of training or professional development opportunities are offered to employees?”
- “What are your favourite things about working with this organization?”
- “What kind of problems is the organization currently trying to solve?”
- “Is your office working remotely, in-person, or hybrid?”
- “If your office is working virtually, can I work from anywhere or do I need to be in the city in which the company is based?”
Keep an open mind when researching employers. Many employers are recruiting graduates from a variety of programs, as many types of work are found across industries. For example, tech companies are not only hiring software engineers, but may be seeking to recruit from a variety of fields, including design, marketing, and human resources. A healthcare company might be looking for health sciences graduates, but also those from business, engineering, and more.
We encourage you to talk to a variety of organizations at career fairs, as each one will have unique hiring needs!
Update, or create, your resume and LinkedIn profile before the fair; this will also help you prepare for the fair by reflecting on your experiences, skills, and interests. LinkedIn can help you stay in touch with recruiters and employers. Many employers use online application and recruitment processes, so bringing printed copies of your resume or business cards is optional.
To help you create or update your resume or LinkedIn profile, book a Career Advising appointment, and check out the Career Centre YouTube page for tips on how to improve your LinkedIn profile.
Be prepared to introduce yourself and answer questions from employers at the fair. It can be helpful to create and practice an introductory pitch before the fair. This can include your name, area and year of study, and a brief description of your skills and experiences that would be relevant to the employers.
An example introductory pitch could be:
My name is (your first and last name) and I am currently completing my (undergraduate/graduate) degree. I expect to be finished in (month/year). I have experience in (area) and am looking for opportunities where I can further develop my (type of skill) skills.
Need more help preparing for Careers Day? Attend our free seminar Making Careers Day Work for You.
During the Fair
After the Fair
Make note of who you spoke to and what you discussed, and be sure to follow up with them if you are interested.
Your next steps can include:
- Visiting the organization’s website to learn more about them and look for open job postings.
- Check out job postings on campusBRIDGE
- Follow the organization on social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- Email the employers you connected with to ask any follow-up questions.
- If you were unable to connect with specific employers during the event, you can find a list of all of the employers who were in attendance at each event on their respective websites, a list of which can be found here.
- When following up, ensure you thank the employers again for their time at the fair.