Prepare yourself for the career fair and learn about 7 kinds of questions you can ask employers to make a first great impression!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most people will come up to a table, say hello and give a little spiel about their background, and then ask, \u201cDo you have any open roles?\u201d according to Muse career coach Chelsea Williams<\/a>, who in a previous position at an asset management firm attended dozens of career fairs to look for talent. \u201cThe recruiter will sometimes say, \u2018We do. Check the website.\u2019 That\u2019s not a powerful way to maximize your time,\u201d she says. And it tells the recruiter that you didn\u2019t take the time to do any research and you\u2019re not serious about their company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t be one of those people. You can stand out right away by taking a different approach. Spend some time ahead of the event looking through the list of companies attending, finding a handful that seem most enticing to you, learning what you can about them, identifying any roles that seem like a good fit for you, and ideally submitting your application before you walk in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That way, you can use your time to delve deeper into anything that wasn\u2019t clear in the job description and to gather information beyond what\u2019s available online, which could help you continue to evaluate whether it\u2019s really the right fit and come in handy later if you move forward in the interview process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can try to get right to the heart of the matter by asking, \u201cWhat are you truly looking for in this role if you could have your ideal candidate?\u201d Morell suggests. Not only can you get the inside scoop on what\u2019s most important to them, but it also \u201cgives you an opportunity to say, – 7 k \u2018Oh, this is how I\u2019ve done that!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A one-on-one conversation with a recruiter is also a great opportunity to glean some information and calibrate your expectations for the hiring process. Muse career coach Brad Finkeldei<\/a> once interviewed for a consulting job in a hiring process that had eight stages. \u201cThey really want to make sure it was a good match culturally,\u201d he says. Knowing something like that up front would help you get a sense of the kind of timeline you can expect. (And you might decide to send out some more applications while you wait!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of your main goals going into a career fair should be to use it as a starting point for building long-term relationships, says Muse career coach Clayton Wert<\/a>. To that end, you \u201cdon\u2019t just want to talk about yourself all the time. Be insightful and curious about the other person,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The person you\u2019re speaking with works at the company. Ask them about their experience there! You might learn something about the culture that you could never glean from a job posting or website alone. Plus, says Muse career coach Kristina Leonardi<\/a>, \u201cthe more authentic and personable and relatable you can be the more memorable you can be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may be a student or recent graduate looking for your first real step into a new field, but you won\u2019t be a newbie forever. It\u2019s worth asking not just about the role you\u2019ve applied for, but about how you can learn and grow and do more down the line. \u201cIt lets the recruiter know you\u2019re thinking about the future and the long-term with the company, that you\u2019re really invested in what your future could look like there,\u201d Morell says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nothing shows you\u2019ve done your homework like casually mentioning something timely about the organization. \u201cGo to the company blog when doing your research, find a recent article or press release, and reference something the company\u2019s currently going through,\u201d says Wert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the company\u2019s just reached a major milestone, released a new product, or announced some great news, he suggests going in and saying, \u201cCongratulations, that\u2019s awesome! Hopefully it makes doing your job easier. What do you think this means for you?\u201d Or you could say, \u201cI saw you\u2019re launching [new product]\u2026 That\u2019s great! What do you think that\u2019s going to do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if you have a genuine personal connection to the company\u2019s products or services\u2014whether it\u2019s been your favorite thing since you were five or your mother\u2019s always talking about how much she loves it\u2014share that with the recruiter and use it to lead into a question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whatever role it is that you have your eye on, it doesn\u2019t exist in a vacuum. You\u2019ll be working with colleagues, a team, a department, and an entire organization that has a unique culture. One of the most effective ways you can use your time at a career fair is to ask questions that\u2019ll help you understand a company\u2019s culture and determine if it\u2019s the kind of environment you want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not necessarily about the culture being good or bad, it\u2019s a matter of finding a match. For example, you might be looking for a highly collaborative atmosphere or, on the flipside, you might prefer to work independently 95% of the time. In either scenario you\u2019ll need a different kind of work culture to thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re new to the working world, you might not know exactly what you\u2019re looking for (and that\u2019s okay!), but you can still use these kinds of questions to feel out whether a company sounds like a place you can see yourself spending most of your waking hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you ask questions about culture\u2014and throughout your conversation\u2014make sure you\u2019re attuned to body language, hesitations, and what\u2019s not<\/em> being said, in addition to the actual verbal response. \u201cEspecially as a recruiter, they\u2019re going to be pretty well rehearsed. They\u2019re there to sell the brand and positions,\u201d says Morell. But small cues like pauses or a perfectly inoffensive but canned answer can raise questions to look into more later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, Morell says, \u201cif you ask about diversity and they only mention one kind of diversity or their statement feels very much like a corporate statement on diversity, that could be a red flag.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that you\u2019ve had a fantastic chat, wrap it up by ensuring that this doesn\u2019t have to be the last time you talk. Make sure you know the person\u2019s name and take a business card (if they have one) or ask how you can keep in touch with them and the company. That way, you\u2019ll have a contact to reach out to if you don\u2019t hear back about your application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And you can also start developing long-term relationships. Who knows, \u201cyou might connect back with them at a time that\u2019s not as busy and get coffee,\u201d Morell says. Even if there\u2019s not a perfect role for you at this company now, or if this one doesn\u2019t pan out, you never know what might open up in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try questions like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Ask About the Hiring Process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
3. Ask About Their Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. Ask About Growth and Development<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
5. Ask About the Company\u2019s Products, Services, or Recent News<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. Ask About Company Culture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
7. Ask How You Can Stay in Touch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n