Career Fair Tips for College Students: What to Say, Bring & Do After

Your school's career center publishes the employer list in advance (often in Handshake). Go through it and sort employers into three tiers:

• Tier 1 (3–5 companies): the ones you would accept an offer from tomorrow. Research these deeply — open roles, recent news, which teams hire interns.
• Tier 2 (5–7 companies): good fits you know less about. Read the open roles and one recent headline each.
• Warm-up (2–3 companies): lower-stakes booths to visit first so your pitch is smooth by the time you reach Tier 1.

International students: check whether each employer hires F-1/OPT candidates for the roles you want before you go. Many fair listings include a sponsorship field; if not, the OPT Resume Guide covers how to research it.

Recruiters talk to hundreds of students in a day. A pitch that is clear and specific is more memorable than one that is impressive and long. Use three beats:

1. Who you are: name, year, major, school.
2. What you have done: one or two concrete things with a result.
3. What you want: the specific role or team, and why them.

"Hi, I'm Priya — I'm a junior studying information systems. This summer I interned at a regional bank where I automated a weekly reconciliation report in Python and cut it from about four hours to twenty minutes. I'm looking for a data analytics internship next summer, and I'm really interested in your Risk Analytics team — could you tell me what interns on that team typically work on?"

Notice it ends with a question. That turns a monologue into a conversation, which is what the recruiter remembers.

• 10–15 printed resumes on decent paper, in a folder so they stay flat. If you are targeting two different role types, print two versions.
• A LinkedIn QR code saved on your phone (LinkedIn app → search bar → QR icon). Recruiters increasingly scan rather than take paper.
• A small notebook or notes app to write each recruiter's name and one detail right after you walk away. You will need this for follow-up.
• Business casual clothes unless the fair says otherwise. For most tech fairs, a clean button-down or sweater is fine; finance and consulting skew more formal.

Make sure the resume you print has been updated for this cycle — see how to write a resume as a college student.

Skip "What does your company do?" — that tells the recruiter you did not prepare. Instead, ask questions that show you have done basic research and help you decide where to apply:

• "What separates interns who get return offers from those who don't?"
• "I saw the [specific role] posting — what does a typical project look like for that team?"
• "Is there a part of the application process students often underestimate?"
• "Are there teams beyond [the obvious one] that hire interns with my background?"
• "What is the best way to stay in touch after today?"

• Go early. Recruiters are fresh and lines are short in the first hour.
• Do not hover. If a line is long, visit another booth and come back.
• Ask for a name and contact. "Would it be okay if I connected with you on LinkedIn?" is almost always a yes.
• Keep it to 3–5 minutes. End it yourself: "Thanks so much — I'll apply to the role tonight."
• Write notes immediately. Name, team, one thing you talked about.

Send it within 24 hours, by email or LinkedIn message. Keep it to four sentences:

Hi [Name] — thanks for talking with me at the [School] career fair yesterday about the [team/role]. I really enjoyed hearing about [specific detail from your notes]. I've just applied to the [Role] position (ID [number]) and attached my resume here. I'd be grateful for any advice on next steps, and I hope to stay in touch.

Then actually apply online. At most large employers the fair conversation does not replace the formal application — it just makes your application more likely to get a closer look.

Log every conversation in a simple tracker (company, recruiter, date, follow-up sent, applied, status). The First Internship Application Guide includes a tracker template. And if your LinkedIn is what recruiters will see when they look you up after the fair, the College Student LinkedIn Handbook walks through every section — or have us optimize it for you.