The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering hosts multiple career fairs, industry days, and on-campus interview days each semester. Career Fairs are a great way to network with company recruiters and discover internship, co-op, or full-time opportunities. Participating in career fairs and scheduling on-campus interviews is a great way to secure an exciting professional experience!

CAREER FAIRS ARE FOR ALL CLASS YEARS

Did you know career fairs are not just for graduating students seeking full-time jobs? They are a great opportunity for freshmen - seniors and graduate students to explore opportunities, practice networking, and make connections that may have immediate or future payoff.

Explore companies attending career fairs or recruitment events
Who are they and what do they do? Take note of the companies that appeal to you most. What is it about them that stands out? Follow them on Handshake so you can pursue opportunities there now or in the future.

Practice navigating the layout
There are often 60+ companies at a career fair in one day. It can be overwhelming if it is a new experience for you. Practice now so you will know what to expect and feel more comfortable when the stakes are higher to seek and secure an internship or co-op.

Network
It is never too early to practice talking with employers and gathering information. Consider grabbing a friend and approaching employer tables together.

Seek and secure opportunities
While some companies prefer students further along in their academic curriculum, others welcome the chance to hire freshmen with the hope of retaining them for future opportunities. Don't shy away from pursuing summer internships!

Prepare
Review the career fair preparation steps outlined below: before, during, and after. Make sure to review the companies attending in advance, familiarize yourself with what they do, and prepare questions you would like to ask.

Network
Talk with employers and gather information! Many recruiters are also Auburn alumni excited to connect with current students. Prepare and practice your personal introduction beforehand. Make sure to request a business card and follow up if you speak with a company where you want to pursue opportunities.

Don't forget about other employer visits
Recruiters visit campus at a variety of times during the semester. Look for opportunities to speak with a company at a Table Talk, Lunch and Learn, Employer-in-Residence, Industry Day or student organization meeting. These are great ways to have quality face time with recruiters in a non-career fair setting.

 

PREPARE FOR THE FAIR

Visit the events page to see a full list of event dates for our large career fairs, industry days and on-campus interview experiences.

1. Identify employers attending using Career Fair+ (See below for additional information about CareerFair+)

  • Create a list of your 5-10 top employers
  • Research employers attending through Career Fair+, LinkedIn, and company websites

2. Prepare to meet employers

Research and tailor your approach! Think about the company’s

  • Products and services
  • Company culture
  • Recent news such as acquisitions, name changes, or any interesting projects
  • Prepare 3-5 questions for each company
  • Create and/or revise your resume and print enough copies to give to recruiters. Make sure to upload your most recent resume to Handshake
  • Prepare and practice your personal introduction or elevator pitch
  • Plan out your arrival to the career fair including travel time. Give yourself enough time to arrive with time to spare and collect your thoughts upon arrival.

3. Pre-schedule Post Career Fair On-Campus Interviews

Recruiters will extend on-campus and off-site interview invitations when meeting students at career fairs.

  1. Some companies will meet students at the fair and reach out to schedule interviews off-site at a later date or on-campus the next day. 
  2. Some companies conducting post-career fair on-campus interviews will make job postings available on Handshake and allow students to apply and pre-schedule interviews in advance. Here is how to pre-schedule:
  • Login to your Handshake account and update your profile. Make sure to include major, classifications, and make your GPA visible to employers. 
  • Upload your reviewed resume to My Documents, re-naming it to include FirstNameLastName-Spring25, and make it visible to employers.
  • Access job posting links when viewing employers in Career Fair+ or visit aub.ie/careerfairinterviews for the full list of interviews available for on-campus interview days.
  • As you review positions and preferences, if you meet all qualifications, you can click "apply". Upload the resume you saved earlier and hit "Submit".
    • For employers who have an open interview schedule, a schedule of available time slots will appear. Select a time slot and make sure to write down all scheduled interviews times!
    • For employers who intend to select interviewees at the career fair, they will review your submitted resume and follow up with you to schedule.

Visual step-by-step instructions can be found here. 

4. Plan your attire. Dress for success!

  • Career fair attendees are most commonly expected to dress in business casual. On-campus interview attire is business professional. What's the difference?
  • Expanding your professional wardrobe? Schedule an Campus Career Closet appointment in the Office of Career Discovery and Success via Handshake. It is helpful to schedule early in the semester to ensure you have access to the most inventory!
  • Pack your padfolio, pen, resume copies, and confidence.

DURING OR DAY - OF

As you approach the beginning of the career fair, remember to take a deep breath. Review your resume, notes you prepared about companies you hope to interact with. Most importantly, be yourself!

  1. Check-in and familiarize yourself with the event map.

  2. Develop your career fair game plan using CareerFair+. Create your list of employers in the order which you plan to approach them.

  3. As you greet the company representative:
    1. Offer a strong handshake or another form of greeting.
    2. Make eye contact when greeting and speaking with recruiters.
    3. Be mindful of your body language and movements such as posture, fidgeting hands, proximity to others.

  4. Begin with personal introduction. Project your voice, as the space may be loud.
    1. Ask prepared questions.
    2. Discuss any next steps for applying to opportunities that will occur after the fair.

  5. Take notes after each interaction before moving on to the next employer.
    TIP | Make sure to request a business card or write down the name of recruiters you speak with. This ensures you can follow up with questions and stay in touch!

AFTER THE FAIR

  1. Follow up
  • Send an email thank-you note within 24-48 hours.
  • Personalize the note to each company or recruiter.

    Include in your thank-you note:
  • Appreciation for taking the time to speak with you
  • Something you enjoyed or learned from the conversation
  • The action you plan to take or completed based on your conversations

Keep your message short -- under 100 words. Attach your resume for reference.

Hint: Keep contact information you collected from the company representative in an organized place so you can refer back to it in the future.

Sample

Download Word Document

Take Action

  • Follow the recruiter’s instruction about applying for positions within a few days.
  • Consider asking recruiter for follow-up call, virtual chat, or informational interview connection.
  • Attend any follow-up recruitment events with companies you are most attracted to. You can find them on the events page, the company website or LinkedIn page.

CAREER FAIR + | PROFILE + RESUME DROP

HOW DO I ACCESS THE CAREER FAIR+ PLATFORM?

Sign up for Career Fair+ at CareerFairPlus.com or by downloading the app in the App Store or Google Play Store. You can launch your account and search employer information in a browser on your laptop/desktop or on the mobile app. We encourage you to utilize the CF+ app on your smart device during the fair experience.

 
THE CF+ PROFILE REQUIRES ME TO ENTER MY GPA. WHAT IF I AM A FRESHMAN OR TRANSFER STUDENT WITHOUT AN AUBURN GPA YET? 

Freshmen: If you have not yet completed a semester at Auburn, you do not have an Auburn GPA. Use your high school GPA as it will match the GPA shown on your resume and is the best current representation of your academic performance.

Transfer Students: If you have not completed a semester at Auburn yet, you do not have an Auburn GPA. Use the cumulative GPA from your previous institution as it will match the GPA shown on your resume and is the best current representation of your academic performance.

 
HOW CAN I SHARE MY RESUME WITH EMPLOYERS OF INTEREST?

For this event, you will be able to access a company's page in CF+ and hit the "Resume Drop" button. In doing so, the resume you have as part of your CF+ will be shared with the company you have selected. If you do not have your current resume uploaded as you drop the resume, you will be able to add it to your profile prior to the fair. Need help developing or refining your resume? Schedule an appointment with an Engineering Career Coach prior to the event date range!

 

HOW CAN I FIND EMPLOYERS BASED ON OPPORTUNITY TYPES OR REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS?

The CareerFair+ platform allows you to search employers with the following filters:

  • Majors  |  Select your AU major and any related majors
  • Positions  |  Co-op, Full-time, Internship
  • Degrees  |  Undergraduate, Masters, PhD
  • Work Authorization Required  |  Yes, No
  • Hire OPT / CPT  |  Yes, No
  • Freshman Friendly

Keep in mind if an employer chose not to indicate a specific major or another filter type - they will not appear in a results list when using filter selections.