A job fair is a room full of people whose job is to hire. Use it.
Most people walk a job fair, collect a tote bag of brochures, drop a few resumes and go home. The people who get calls back do something different: they plan, they have real conversations, and they follow up. This guide covers what to bring, what to say, what to ask, and how to turn five minutes at a table into an interview.
Before the fair
Look at the employer list. Most fairs publish who is coming. Pick five to ten employers you most want to talk to, and look up what each one is hiring for.
Prepare a short intro. Twenty to thirty seconds, out loud. Who you are, what you do and what you are looking for:
"Hi, I am Maya. I have three years in customer service at a bank, and I am looking for a customer success or account management role. I saw you are hiring for client onboarding, and I would love to hear more about that team."
Practice it until it sounds like you, not a script.
Tailor your resume. If most of your target employers hire for one kind of role, bring a version aimed at that role. On EarnHire, tap Tailor resume on a matching listing to build one fast. Your first two tailored resumes are free.
What to bring
- Printed resumes. More than you think you need, in a folder so they stay flat.
- A pen and a small notebook. For names, roles and what each recruiter told you.
- Your phone, charged. Many fairs and employers use QR codes now.
- A list of your target employers, in the order you plan to visit them.
- Clothes one step nicer than the jobs you want. Comfortable shoes. You will be standing.
- A few questions written down for each employer.
How to work the room
- Get a map and start with your top targets. Lines get longer later in the day.
- Warm up at one table first. Pick an employer lower on your list to shake off nerves.
- Lead with your intro, then listen. The goal is a conversation, not a speech.
- Ask a real question. It shows you did your homework and it gives the recruiter something to talk about.
- Get a name. Ask for a business card or the best way to follow up. Write it down right after you walk away.
- Note one detail from each conversation. You will use it in your follow-up.
- Keep it short when lines are long. Five good minutes beats fifteen that hold up the line.
Questions worth asking
- "What roles are you hiring for most right now?"
- "What does a strong candidate for this team look like?"
- "What is the hiring process after today?"
- "Is there anything in my background I should highlight when I apply?"
- "Who is the best person to follow up with?"
Skip questions you could answer from the company's website in ten seconds. And save pay and benefits for later in the process, unless the recruiter brings them up.
Follow up within a day or two
This is where most people drop off, and where you pull ahead.
- Send a short email or LinkedIn message to each recruiter you met. Mention the fair, the detail you noted and the role.
- Apply online if they asked you to. Many recruiters will tell you to apply through the company's career page. Do it the same day, and mention you met them in your follow-up.
- Log every contact. Name, company, date, what they said and your next step. Our guide on how to track job applications has a simple setup.
A follow-up template:
Hi Chris, it was great meeting you at the downtown job fair yesterday. Thank you for telling me about the client onboarding team. I applied for the Onboarding Specialist role this morning and would love to stay in touch. Maya Johnson, (555) 123-4567
For what to do if you do not hear back, read how to follow up after applying.
Stay connected with EarnHire Events
Some job fairs and career events run on EarnHire Events. If yours does, look for the event's QR code on a poster or at the welcome table. Scan it and you join the event on EarnHire. Everyone who joins is connected with you, and their notes land in your Community feed, so the people you met do not disappear when the fair ends.
Running a fair or a career event yourself? You can request an event page at EarnHire Events.
After the fair: keep the momentum
The fair is a starting point. In the days after:
- Search the employers you met. On EarnHire, search a title you discussed and look for "Direct from employer" on the cards, which link straight to the company's career page. More on that in how to find jobs on company career pages.
- Search a few titles at once. The Job Mixtape lets you search up to three job titles at once, each in its own lane. Here is how to search multiple job titles at once.
- Tailor each application. Use what the recruiter told you about the team.
Start your search
Before the fair, look up the roles your target employers are hiring for. Search them on EarnHire, tailor your resume to the one you want most, and walk in ready. Searching is free.