Spotlight for Career Services Professionals, June 22, 2011 

Students see career fairs as opportunities to meet and network with recruiters, while employers tend to view these events as branding opportunities. How do career centers attract students and employers to attend career fairs? How do they manage the expectations of student and employer attendees? (Part 1 in a series.)   

At Georgia State University (GSU), university career services’ marketing efforts are data driven. The office uses a career fair ROI measure that helps students and new employers decide whether to attend.    

“We ask attending employers to provide us several data points that when evaluated together, demonstrate the value of attending an event put on by our office,” explains Kevin Gaw, GSU’s career services director.    

At the end of the fair, career services asks each employer: 

• The approximate number of students that visited its table 
• Of these students, the approximate number the recruiter(s) spoke with about opportunities 
• The approximate number of potential candidates they met at their table  

Career services also asks participating recruiters to rate the event in comparison to other career fairs. 

“We also ask about meeting their recruiting expectations,” Gaw adds. “This provides useful data, too.”    

Just as GSU compiles useful data to assess career fair effectiveness for employers, it does the same for students by using an exit evaluation of their career fair experience.  

“Since we keep all this data across events, we have an ever-growing body of data,” Gaw says. “These are very useful data points that we use for developing marketing statements and reasons to attend for both students and employers.    

Meanwhile, the focus of the career fair at Milwaukee School of Engineering’s (MSOE) is about including a wide range of participants in a grand event that features a red carpet entrance, plenty of networking activities, and administration members rolling up their sleeves to assist. (MSOE’s vice president of academics assists with student and employer registration.)   

“We have even had staff volunteer on their days off to assist with fair-day operations,” says Mary Spencer, MSOE career services director. “We try to make this a first-class event, one not to miss. We actually have the red carpet rolled out for the employers when they come to check in on the day of the fair.”  

Throughout the entire event, the career services staff encourages interaction between participants. Career services staff invite the faculty to meet, greet, and dine with employers. Staff also encourage student organizations to set up booths to allow them to promote their causes and possibly gain sponsorship. And space is available for students and faculty to set up senior project displays.   

“Usually these displays are in the same room as the employer break and lunch room,” Spencer says. “This is exciting for students, as they get to showcase their talents and skills, and employers get the opportunity to evaluate, experience, and enjoy the results of team-oriented projects. Furthermore, faculty get to talk about the application of theory and technology used to complete the projects.”  

Immediately following the fair, the alumni office hosts a networking event for all of the participants and attendees.   

As a member of the Claremont Colleges Consortium, Scripps College doesn’t host career fairs on its campus.    

“Instead, our students have access to the fairs at the other colleges in the consortium,” says Vicki Klopsch, Scripps College’s director of career planning and resources. “We are challenged not only to encourage students to attend the fair, but to also encourage them to attend a fair at a sister school.”  

To help make attending a less-intimidating prospect, career planning and resources staff began offering pre-fair prep sessions, during which they spend 30 to 45 minutes as a group to review the top 10 strategies of working a career fair. Information during the pre-fair prep sessions focuses on how to manage a job fair.    

“We review strategies such as maintaining eye-contact, introducing yourself clearly, being patient in long lines, and asking for a business card,” Klopsch says. “Students receive a half-page handout on these as well. Then we spend the remaining time reviewing the list of recruiters together and answering attendee questions, which often are about specific companies and positions.”  

As they do in many workshops and events, career services staff also remind students about the steps and timing involved in the job-search process. She points out that the pre-fair prep sessions are for students only, as a way to create a safe space to ask questions and minimize anxiety for first-time job fair attendees.   

At the conclusion of the pre-fair prep session, attendees walk together to the career fair venue.    

“We've seen an immediate increase in attendance at career fairs, and have witnessed peer support and confidence in the participating students,” Klopsch says. “By the time they attend the fair, we can tell they're walking with a little more confidence in their step. Ultimately, that's our goal.” 

Help market your career fair to employers by adding it to NACE’s Career Fair Finder. (Select "Add a new career fair" from the left-hand navigation. Available to college members only.) 

Read Part 2 of "Successful Career Fairs: How Others Do It"