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Fall 2013 Business Career Fair

October 1, 2013

All students are invited to attend the Sam M. Walton College of Business Career Fair!
Business casual dress at a minimum is required to attend. 

What is the Business Career Fair?

The Walton College Business Career Fair is one of the most exciting events on-campus! The Business Career Fair is a one-day event where numerous employers provide information about job and internship opportunities with their companies, while visiting with interested and curious students. Each employer/organization will have a designated information table, and may provide company literature and/or company branded giveaways to students. This event is a convenient way for employers and potential employees to meet.

When and where is the Business Career Fair?

October 1, 2013
10:00 am - 12:00 pm and 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Reynolds Razorback Stadium - East Indoor Club
    * Attendees should enter at gate 15 and take the elevator to the third level.

This event is a blend of a traditional Career Fair and a Networking Event with an exciting venue, which provides you with the opportunity to move throughout the event and network with various employers while overlooking the football field. Transportation from the Harmon Parking Deck to the Reynolds Razorback stadium and back will be provided from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Who can attend the Business Career Fair?
  All students can attend the Business Career Fair. All classes, all majors and alums are welcome.
• How should I dress for the Business Career Fair?
  Business casual dress at a minimum is required to attend. Click here for examples of business casual and business professional dress.
• What should I bring to the Business Career Fair?
  Bring numerous copies of your resume to the fair to give to the employers you are interested in. However, not all employers are willing to take your resume at the Business Career Fair. So make sure you ask the company representative what the best way is for your resume to circulate within their organization. You may encounter employers who will accept your resume, and/or ask you to submit your resume in Razorback CareerLink (CareerLink), and/or ask you to submit your resume through their company websites. Follow the company representative's advice about resume dissemination.

How to Prepare for the Business Career Fair

• Do some research!
  Find out which companies or organizations are attending the event. Review the list (link at the top of this page) and decide:
  Who are you most interested in talking to?
  What do you want to know about them and their industry?
  Who haven't you heard of before? Look up those companies you are unfamiliar with and read about them.
• Once you've determined the companies you are most interested in meeting, you should:
  Take a few minutes to check out their web sites and see what kind of work they are doing.
  Login to CareerLink to see if they have any job or internship postings.
  Research what others have to say about them.
• Other factors to consider include:
  Does their work interest you?
  Are they in a state of growth?
  Do they offer training and professional development opportunities?
• Plan your introduction
  Develop a thirty-second introduction, including:
  Your name
  What you do (your major, most impressive skills and accomplishments), and
  What your career interests are (Are you seeking an internship or a full-time position? When?)
  You will need to make the most of a limited amount of time, so practice saying it out loud until it flows easily and confidently.
• Make a strategic plan for the event
  Some 'big name' companies will have crowds around them all day. You will have to be observant to find a time when you can talk to them. Keep in mind that even employers who offer work that doesn't fit into your career goals are also good to talk to. You need to practice networking - the ability to network is the most critical job search skill in the new economy!
• Approaching company representatives
  Don't sit back and wait to be approached! Introduce yourself. Shake hands and make good eye contact. If you are unsure how your education fits with the employer's specific needs, ask open-ended questions such as:
  What qualities are you looking for in employees?
  Do you offer internships or specialized training?
  Career events are very busy times for the employer. Be prepared to succinctly demonstrate your knowledge of the company, express enthusiasm in what they do, and describe how your background and education can contribute to their needs.
• Be prepared that some employers cannot accept hard copy resumes and will ask you to apply online. This is to comply with federal regulations about the way employers keep data on applicants. February 2006 federal regulations had an impact on employers, online job hunters, and how status as a job candidate is determined. In order to comply with these regulations, many employers are requiring all job applicants to apply for jobs online on the employer's web site. This does not mean the employer is giving you the brush-off, and it does not mean the employer is wasting time by attending the fair and talking with you. The employer reps may well be taking note of candidates — you and others — in whom they are interested, but they have to follow certain procedures to comply with law.
• Don’t forget! Some employers will be conducting interviews the day of the Business Career Fair. If they are impressed with you and your skills/experiences, they may ask you to visit with them during the event for an official interview. Consider brushing up on your interview skills before attending the fair.
• Make a good impression! Regardless of the extent to which technology makes it easier and faster to share information between job seekers and employers, nothing replaces in-person contact for making an impression.
• This is your opportunity to be evaluated on more than just your resume. In many aspects of the job search, your resume (and cover letter) is (are) all the employer sees to determine whether to interview you. At a fair, you have an opportunity to stand out in person in a way that you might not on your resume. Interpersonal skills, communication skills and work-place-appropriate social skills are critical. Many employers evaluate these skills heavily, because they want to hire people who can make a good impression on their clients and customers.
• Collect business cards, if available
  Collect business cards and make notes on the back to remind you of your conversation. Use this to jog your memory when writing a follow-up email letters to the employers that interest you.
• Follow up!
  Send a thank-you letter to the representatives you wish to remain in contact with. This will set the stage for future correspondence.
• Other Career Event Tips
  Observe other students and employers interact.
  Be respectful of the representative's time.
  Be confident, not aggressive.
  Dress appropriately! Dress as you would for a professional job interview.

For more information on preparing for career fairs, please review the following articles:

• How to Prepare for a Career Fair, video by Vault.com
• Four Steps to Career Fair Success
• Making Career Fairs Work for You
• Connect at the Career Fair

The Business Career Fair is sponsored by the Walton College Career Center, the Center for Retailing Excellence, the Information Technology Research Institute and the Supply Chain Management Research Center. For more information on upcoming Business Career Fairs, contact the Walton College Career Center.