Tips to Prepare for the Career Fair
- You are likely to be attending the Career Fair for several reasons:
- You are ready for an internship or job and know the federal government has good opportunities; or
- You are ready for an internship or job and want to know what opportunities each agency has available now or in the near future; or
- You are interested in learning more about federal agencies: what they do, who they hire and whether you might be interested down the road.
- If you are interested in obtaining an internship or job now or in the near future, we recommend that you:
- Pick up a copy of the Student Guidebook for the Federal Career Day. Make the guidebook work for you by circling agencies of interest and mini-sessions you want to attend. Guidebooks will be available at your Career Services Office or in 352 Denney Hall ~November 1st.
- Try to review the website of an agency (or agencies) that interest you. Recruiters have said they are impressed by the types of questions and general tone of discussions when students had looked at a web site ahead of time. Agency web sites can be found on the Federal Career Day website by clicking on agency descriptions.
- Ask specific questions that are relevant to you. For example, you might say, "I am currently a foreign language major. Are there particular languages that you are considering for your internships?" Or, "I would like to work in Ohio upon graduation. Does your agency have any job opportunities in Ohio?"
- Check the descriptions of all of the federal agencies attending. You may be intrigued by agencies that you never considered.
- Attend the mini-sessions. If there are particular agencies of interest to you, check to see if they are participating in a presentation session. Go to that session, in addition to the career fair, so you can talk to the agency representatives in 2 separate venues.
- Dress appropriately.Business casual is fine. If you cannot wear business casual, look as neat as you can on a school day!
- Bring a resume if you have one, but talk to agencies even if you don’t have a resume. Resumes can be used as a basis for discussion. However, some agencies will collect resumes while others will not. (See frequently asked questions for more details).
- If you are primarily interested in learning more about federal agencies and may investigation internships or jobs in the future, we recommend that you:
- Pick up a copy of the Student Guidebook for the Federal Career Day. Make the guidebook work for you by circling agencies of interest and mini-sessions you want to attend. Guidebooks will be available at your Career Services Office or in 352 Denney Hall ~November 1st.
- Ask questions that help you decide whether your interests and/or your major lead to internships and jobs in the federal government.
- If you want additional information, ask the agency representatives about the best way to learn more. You might ask for a business card for future reference.
General Information:
Student Information:
Employer Information: