How to prepare for a career fair/conference

I just came back from my 2^nd Career Conference since I started my Full-Time MBA program at Ohio State's Fisher College of Business. Career Fairs or Career Conferences are common in the United States, but is not what international students including me have been familiar with in our home country. Hence, just 1 month ago, I felt pretty ambiguous about the purpose of and how to prepare for a career fair. Thanks to the comprehensive integration session delivered by the Office of Career Management of Fisher, I had such a great time at the latest Career Conference. Here are some important things that I learned.

1. What are the main purposes of a Career Conference?

• Provide a platform for employers to introduce their company/industry insights
• Facilitate job seekers and employers in connecting, interacting, building a relationship and exploring suitable job opportunities
• Allow students to distribute resumes and/or conduct interviews with employers

2. How do you prepare for a Career Conference?

• Prepare Resume and pitch/introduction
• Define and do research about your targeted industry/company/positions
• Have a padfolio, name tag, and multiple printed resumes
• Practice interview questions with peers/alumni/career coach
• Develop some questions for the employers

I hope the above is helpful when you are going to a Career Conference!