What Is A Career Fair & Why Should You Go?
Posted: February 08, 2023 | Author: McKinley Hatch | Read Time: 3 minutes
A Career Fair is an event that gives students and employers a chance to network and discuss potential career and internship opportunities. Typically there are a variety of employers who are seeking a variety of majors.
Coming up on February 22, 2023, the Southern Utah University Career Center is hosting a Career & Internship Fair + Public Lands Employment Day in the Ballroom from 10 am - 2 pm. The Public Lands Employment Day portion of the career fair means that SUU has partnered with the Intergovernmental Internship Cooperative (IIC) Department to co-host the event so that more public lands employers attend the event. This serves students specifically interested in outdoors, recreation, outdoor education, agriculture, farming, engineering, etc. However, all different types of employers are attending the event, so don’t worry; there are more than just public lands employment opportunities.
Who Can Attend a Career Fair?
Many students think that a Career & Internship Fair is only for juniors and seniors, but that is not the case. All students can benefit from attending a career fair. In fact, NOW is the time to start preparing for your future career by attending this event. When students arrive, they will receive a color-coded sticker to put on the name tag they receive during check-in. This is to help students feel comfortable attending.
The colors are green, yellow, and red. If a student chooses a green sticker, it means they are ready to get hired for either an internship or career-level job. If a student selects a yellow sticker, it means they are just there to network with employers because they aren’t looking for a job/internship yet, but will be in the future. A red sticker would indicate that the student is just there to explore what is happening at the event. This color-coded system allows all students to attend the event feeling comfortable when they speak with employers.
What to do at a Career Fair?
A Career Fair is a great way for you to make connections with hiring managers. Once you arrive at the Ballroom in the Sharwan Smith Student Center, you will be instructed to give your T-Number or Student ID card to one of the event staff. Doing this will allow you to check into the event and receive a name badge you will wear during the fair. If you do not have a Student ID card or T-Number, we still welcome you to attend the event. After your name badge is printed off, we allow you to choose a colored sticker that resembles your intentions for attending the event and streamlines the communication process between you and the employer. If you’re not interested in getting an internship or job right now, the employers will see that on your sticker color and know how to tailor the conversation to your interests. This ultimately helps you have a better experience.
Once you get into the event, you will be provided a map of where each employer is located. There will be tables sectioned off into majors/areas of study to make it easier to navigate. Find your specific area(s) of interest, and go visit those tables. We recommend you develop the best elevator pitch to help you stand out when you talk to the hiring managers at the booths.
As soon as you’re finished having a great conversation with an employer, ask for their business card so you can follow up with them after the event.
The event is as simple as that! Check-in at the event, select a colored sticker, find which companies you want to visit, and have valuable conversations.
Attend the Next Career & Internship Fair
The Career & Internship Fair + Public Lands Employment Day will be held on February 22, 2023 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Sharwan Smith Student Center Ballroom.
For any questions, please contact the SUU Career and Professional Development Center at careercenter@suu.edu.
SUU’s Career and Professional Development Center helps college students find jobs, write resumes, and prepare for interviews in addition to assisting students with major and career decisions. Learn more about the Career Center’s services.
Tags: Student Career Center
