Chances are, you’ve probably heard a thing or two about our Career Fair. To refresh your work-overloaded memories, more than 100 diverse organizations and recruiters will be flooding campus on Friday September 23rd, the echoing halls of Gancher to be exact, poised and ready to mingle with us career-aspiring Tufts students. It’s a tremendous opportunity for us job-prowling seniors, especially those with looming recruiting deadlines. But, regardless of your stage in the job-hunt, anyone and everyone can benefit from gaining career information, practicing networking skills, and forging face-to-face connections, which—lucky for us---are essentially timeless.
Some of you may already have an excited, red-inked note scribbled into your calendars. But others might be debating whether to add this to your busy college schedules, especially if you you don’t see a company that instantly piques your interest, or just don’t feel the job-search pressure quite yet. But despite the preparatory work and jittery day-of nerves, it’s worth it. If you find a connection to even just one employer, or want to learn about less familiar industries, why not hand out a few resumes and take in some insightful career banter? Plus, it never hurts to simply get your name out there.
Also, keep in mind that job opportunities aren’t rigidly divided by college major. Lucky for those of us with not-so-straightforward career goals, there’s no neon-yellow sign directing the English majors to the media booths and the economic-whizzes to the finance tables. So, as long as you demonstrate a thoughtful interest in the company-at-hand, you may as well broaden your horizons and chat with a range of employers. You never know where it could lead!
Preparing:
So you’ve decided to attend the Career fair. Now what? 
1. Before you do anything, you need to know whose coming. Scout out our list of attending companies, research the job position, and craft a condensed list of the opportunities that resonate with your career-goals. You might even consider crafting a “top-priority” A-list of employers and a second “if-there’s time” B list. But don’t overextend yourself; if you’re feeling overwhelmed, try to minimize your list to 5-6 booths, so that you have sufficient, stress-free time to chat with the employers that topped your list.
2. To eliminate stressful booth-to-booth scrambling, try to map out your career-fair-plan---a basic schedule of the booths you’ll visit and the (expected) time you’ll spend at each. You may get reeled toward other attention-grabbing booths, but (if possible!), try to visit your priority companies before you wander towards others that catch your eye.
3. Once you’ve pinpointed and prioritized, take some time to carefully research the company and employer representatives you’ve chosen to explore---including typical candidate qualifications, demands of the position, and job locations. Along with the job position, familiarize yourself with the values and broader mission of the company itself, along with any newsworthy affair taking the industry by storm---a sure way to guarantee smart, stimulating conversation with each company representative.
4. Now that you’ve gotten the inside scoop, make sure that your own resume, fresh, fully updated, and ready for hiring-eyes. On September 19th-21st , Career Services commences its annual Resume Critique Days, a chance to pick apart your resume alongside an expert career professional. Consider tailoring your resume to each attending company you select, especially if you plan to visit a diverse range of employers. Be sure to have a number of copies on-hand, fresh and ready to pass on to each employer of interest. It can’t hurt to have access to plenty of extras too, in case you strike conversation with someone outside your original list.
5. To avoid conversation stumblers and messy resume wrinkles, we recommend that you carry a sleek, organized folder, a handy place to store your list of employers, company information, and resume copies. It’s also a convenient way to swiftly stow away all the pocket-size business cards, company information (and trinkets!) you collect.
** For an even more 
in-depth look at how to master the fair---networking advice, helpful hints, and more career-fair do-and-don’ts---be sure to attend our Prepare for the Fair event on Monday, September 19th, 5-6 p.m. in Dowling 745A. And, check back tomorrow for the second part of our Prepare for the Fair series!
