Career Fairs - Career Services

Before the fair

Change your profile visibility to 'Community': You must change your profile to 'Community' in order to participate in 1:1 and group sessions and engage with other students/alumni.  Click on your initials in the upper right corner, then 'Settings,' then choose 'Community.' 

Update your Handshake profile - graduation date, major, GPA, job types/locations/roles that interest you, courses, skills and previous work experience. This will help you get discovered by employers.  If you have uploaded a resume, you may also build your profile based on the resume.   

Upload your resume

Research attending employers

Sign up for 1:1 and group sessions (click here to read an article on how to prepare for virtual 1:1 sessions)

Check your video requirements

Dress professionally and find a nice, quiet area with a plain background.

Handshake resources: 

• Video: Get the Most out of Your Virtual Fair: Student Training Webinar
• Article: Handshake's guide to attending a virtual fair
• Video: Locating and registering for virtual fairs
• Article: Locating and registering for virtual fairs
• Article: Tips for attending a virtual career fair
• Article: How to make a good impression in a virtual job interview
• Article: How to prepare your virtual career fair "elevator pitch"
• Video: How to prepare for a virtual career fair
• Article: How to prepare questions for a virtual career fair
• Article: Your 10 biggest virtual career fair questions, answered

During the fair

• Arrive on time, maintain eye contact and ask questions.
• Have your resume and portfolio items ready to screen share.
• Attend the virtual fair - join 1:1 and group sessions
• Having trouble? Contact Career Services:
  • Call: (906) 227-2800
  • Email: careers@nmu.edu
  • Chat: www.nmu.edu/careerservices, click on the green 'Online' button in the lower right corner
  • Zoom: a link to the room will be emailed to registered students prior to the fair
• Contact Handshake - technical issues, trust or safety issue, report users

After the fair

Apply for jobs or internships

Thank employers for meeting with you - It's a nice touch to send personal thank you notes to all of the employers who talked with you during the fair.

The time and effort you put into preparing for a job fair will determine, in large part, the success you will have at the fair. Job fairs are not just places for you to find jobs - they're a place for you to establish those all-important contacts that will help you in your career endeavors.

To help you prepare, here are some tips:

• Find out which companies will be attending. Visit Handshake for a list of participating companies and organizations and what types of positions are being advertised.
• Research the companies. If you see a company and/or organization that interests you, do some research on the company before attending the fair. The more you know about the company, the more comfortable you will be when meeting their representatives.
• Dress appropriately. While you may be a college student now, employers are looking to hire professionals. Wearing something besides jeans and a sweatshirt will go a long way toward establishing a lasting good first impression.
• Resumes. Some employers will be looking to interview people at the job fair, while others may be "just looking." It's important that you bring plenty of error-free resumes to the job fair. Many employers will be happy to take a look at your resume, make suggestions, and maybe take a copy or two home to review for possible consideration. Many employers who can't make it to the job fair ask the sponsoring organization to collect resumes and forward them after the job fair. Ask your Career Services professional staff for help with your resume, and you can't go wrong. Once your resume is finalized, visit Career Services to get copies (up to ten) printed on resume paper.  
• Attitude. Always maintain a friendly and positive attitude, even at the end of the day when you're tired.
• Shake hands. Even if the employer doesn't offer to shake first, extend your hand, introduce yourself, and let the employer take it from there.
• Meet everyone. Take time to circulate. Ask the job fair hosts to introduce you to some of the employers. Don't worry if an employer doesn't seem to be hiring someone with your qualifications and background. They may know someone who is!
• Grab those business cards. Almost every employer will bring business cards. Grab all you can so you will know who to send a resume to when you're ready to embark on your search.
• Send thank you notes. Do you want to be remembered after the job fair? It's a nice touch to send personal thank you notes to all of the employers who talked with you during the fair. This is another great reason to grab those business cards. They'll help you remember who you talked with.
• Don't be discouraged! Some employers will be talking with a lot of students, so there may be some lines. Seek out those employers who don't have lines at their tables. These can sometimes be the most helpful. Try to meet everyone.
• Attend presentations. Many employers sponsor presentations or seminars, either the day before or the day after the job fair. Going to these meetings allows you to meet the employers personally, and can be a link to a future job. You'll find out about the company/organization, and you can get your foot in the door.
• Use the Career Services office. We have lots of resources available to assist you in making the job fair as beneficial and worthwhile as possible. Call us today to set up an appointment! 

If you are attending a virtual fair you should consider all the tips above but here are additional things to consider:

• Create calendar reminders.  During a virtual fair you will sign up for one-on-one time slots to speak with employers.  You may also be able to register for information or group sessions.  Create calendar reminders for each one to keep yourself on track and from being late.
• Get virtually organized!  Make sure to have any paperwork you may need close to the device you will be using to attend the virtual fair.  You will also want to test your internet, video and microphone connections to make sure everything works before logging in.

Download our Career Development Guide (coming soon) - which includes info on how to dress, and what to ask 

These career fairs are not hosted or sponsored by NMU Career Services.

Additional websites: 

Handshake Events and Fairs

CareerEco Virtual Fairs

Choice Career Fairs

Michigan Career Fairs

Michigan Talent Career Events

National Career Fairs

Before the fair

1. Register for the fair.
2. Create your schedule:
   • You will receive an email with a link indicating that you're able to schedule group and 1:1 group meetings for the fair. Step-by-step directions for creating your schedule can be found here.  
   • Video: How to set a schedule
   • Video: Examples of what 1:1 and group sessions will look like
   • Article: Managing Schedules for Virtual Fairs
   • Video: Managing Schedules for Virtual Fairs
     • Think of 1:1 sessions as a student coming up to your table to speak with you. Think of group sessions as an information session. 
   • Students won't be able to register for your sessions until your schedule is created - so make sure you complete this step as early as possible. 
3. Check your video requirements. You may also test your video.

Handshake resources:

• Playbook: Virtual career fair playbook for employers
• Video: Virtual fair training for employers
• Article: A Handshake guide to virtual fairs
• Article: 7 ways employers can stand out
• Article: Virtual recruiting toolkit
• Handshake's Help Center for Employers 

During the fair

1. Host virtual fair sessions
2. Having trouble? Contact Career Services:
   • Call: (906) 227-2800
   • Email: careers@nmu.edu
   • Chat: www.nmu.edu/careerservices, click on the green 'Online' button in the lower right corner
3. Visit Handshake's Help Center for Employers

After the fair

• Send emails or messages to students on Handshake to follow up.  
• Download student resumes
• Following Up After a Virtual Fair

Before you arrive:

• Book a hotel, if necessary.
• Think about what materials you’d like to bring.  Examples: tablecloth with employer logo/name, display board(s), job descriptions, job applications, candy, giveaways.  Bringing your company nametag is also a good idea.
• Ship promotional materials to our office ahead of time, if you'd prefer.  We will bring any boxes to the job fair for you, but you would set up materials to your specifications.  Please mail them to:
  Career Services – 3302.3 C.B. Hedgcock
  Northern Michigan University
  1401 Presque Isle Avenue
  Marquette, MI  49855

When you arrive:

• Directions to the University can be found here.
• Check-in begins at 10:00 a.m.
• Set up your table with your display and paperwork.  Your organization will be provided with a table and chairs for your representatives.
• Get your computer and Wi-Fi set up.  You will be given directions for Wi-Fi when you arrive.

During the fair:

• Greet students as they arrive at your table. Each student will have a nametag that will include their major.
• Visit the employer lounge for complimentary refreshments.

After the fair:

• Go through resumes that you received and set up follow-up interviews.
• Send emails or messages to students on Handshake for further discussion.