From Neckties to Namecards: Making the Most of a Career Fair

What: UIC Business Career Fair

When: Monday, September 21 from 11:00a.m. to 2:00p.m.          

Where: UIC Student Center East, Illinois Room

The internet has radically changed the job hunt. Not only does the idea of handing out resumes downtown seem quaint; even the print classifieds feel like an unreliable place to look for work. The prevalence of digital classifieds and online job boards has both simplified the job search and made the process almost entirely Web-based. But those who have tried, know – you can submit 50 applications in a week and never hear a word in reply, much less get an interview. Because it’s so easy to apply, employers simply receive too many applications. Face-to-face interaction, the most certain way to make an impression, is increasingly hard to come by. Hence the job fair.

The UIC Business Career Fair is right around the corner, which means now is the time to prepare. In his MBA 590 class on improvisation and leadership, Professor Michael Popowits shares some useful considerations:

• Do your homework. Rehearse your elevator pitch and practice responding to the inevitable prompt, “tell me about yourself.” If you can’t paint a clear picture of your character, experiences, and ambitions, then employers won’t know what they’re looking at.
• Don’t be a lurker. Introduce yourself! Welcome each employer to UIC with a smile and a firm handshake. Share your name, grade level, and major, as well as your reason for wanting to meet the company.
• Adopt the employer’s perspective. Too often we focus on our own needs at the expense of understanding what an employer is looking for.
• Thank them for their time. This is an easy and polite way to wrap up a conversation. Ask for a business card and, if you get an email address, send the recruiter a thank-you email later in the day.

Monster.com offers a few more pointers for preparing a resume before a career fair, but not just “a” resume. One of their tips is to tailor different versions of your resume to different companies participating in the fair, which leads to another important point: find out which companies will be represented at the career fair and start researching them. Here’s who you’ll find at the UIC Business Career Fair:

Aegis Worldwide

ALDI Inc.

Allstate Insurance Company

Amazon

Bank of America

Bronner Group, LLC

Caterpillar

CDW

CNA

Cortland Capital Market Services

Crowe Horwath

Enterprise Rent-a-Car

First Investors Corporation

First Midwest Bank

Hoopis Financial

INROADS LLC

InternshipDesk

ITW

Liberty Mutual

Maxim Healthcare Services

Merkle

Merrill Lynch

Mu Sigma Inc

MultiPlan

National Futures Association

Nolan Transportation Group

Northwestern Mutual

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency

Prudential Financial

SmithBucklin

Standard Bank and Trust Co.

Target Corporation

The McTigue Financial Group

Total Quality Logistics

True Partners Consulting LLC

ULTA Distribution

Verizon Wireless

UIC Business has its own set of career fair tips, as do many other schools. A few especially useful pages are Virginia Tech’s, Berkeley’s, and this UCLA do’s-and-don’ts video. For a complete list of participating companies, as well as an interactive floor plan and other event details, check out the free UIC Career Fair Plus app for Android and iOS.

Questions about the UIC Business Career Fair? Contact Noaman Peerzada, npeerz2@uic.edu.