8 Tips For Surviving An Internship Fair

By Victoria Robertson on February 20, 2015

This article is brought to you by Dream Careers, the largest global internship program for college students offering all-inclusive programs in 11 cities worldwide. To learn more about Dream Careers, please visit us at SummerInternships.com.

Internships make the world go round. Okay, maybe that’s not exactly true. But they at least help to bulk up your resume, and we could all use that. So when your university offers an internship fair, it’s in your best interest to attend.

Photo Via Romer Jed Medina on flickr.com

That being said, internship fairs should be taken just as seriously as grad school or career fairs as they have just as big of an impact on your future. So here are a few tips to keep in mind when trying to survive your college’s internship fair.

1. Bring copies of your resume.

Some companies may not require this, but it is always best to have a resume with you to showcase any prior experience you may have in the field at hand. It’s also important to have multiple copies of your resume, as there are more than likely multiple internships in which you will be interested.

2. Prepare a personal statement.

Normally when introducing yourself to a company you see a potential relationship with, you will want to lead with a short summary of yourself, about 30 seconds long, that sums up your personal and professional experience relevant to the internship. This summary should be short, to the point and sound as professional as possible.

3. Prepare for on the spot interviews.

If a company is interested in both your resume and your personal statement, they may proceed with a short, but important, on the spot interview. For this reason, being prepared for the basic interview questions is an absolute must. Also, be sure to look over your resume and be ready to discuss any experience listed on it in detail.

4. Look over the attending companies.

Universities will normally post a list of companies that will be in attendance at the internship fair a few weeks in advance in order to help students better prepare. Don’t take this list for granted. Look it over and see if there are any companies you think you can see a potential future with. If you have an interest in a company, write it down so that you can do a bit more research on it later.

5. Research companies of interest.

After taking down the names of any companies you are interested in, look them up. Look up any open jobs they have, experience they’re looking for, what they do, what they value in employees, etc. Any extra information you can get in regards to the company will serve you well in on the spot interviews. You’ll look professional, prepared and will more than likely stand out from other interviewees the company will come across throughout the day.

6. Look professional.

Again, the internship fair is something you will want to treat as an interview, which means business attire is certainly recommended. The more professional you look, the more likely you are to be taken seriously by the company whose booth you are visiting. So don’t underestimate the importance of looking professional, and definitely take this as an opportunity to look your best.

7. Be open.

While you will have looked through the companies in attendance ahead of time, don’t count out all other companies either. If you come across a booth that’s drawing you in, but you don’t know much about, it’s still worth it to approach and find out more.

Don’t be closed off to other companies simply because you don’t know enough about them. Approach the booth and ask questions, there is nothing to lose in doing so. The more open you are to new possibilities the more likely you are to walk out of the fair with an internship.

8. Form relationships.

Try to keep things conversational; you are looking for a company to help you grow, and maybe for potential future careers in the company as well. So make sure you are trying to make connections with the company’s representatives as these relationships could help to serve you in the future.

Keep in mind that you will probably need references at some point in the future as well, and the more you are able to network, the bigger the pool of references to choose from.

Internship fairs are a lot like career fairs in many ways, so underestimating the importance of them is one of the biggest mistakes made by college students. Many companies looking for interns often offer the successful ones jobs in the company later on, so in some cases, an internship fair will serve you just as well as a career fair.

So as long as you keep these tips in mind and continue researching effective ways to stand out from other students, you will make the most of your university’s internship fair and go home successful.

Looking for a top internship in an exciting city? Enroll in Dream Careers and guarantee yourself an internship and a fun summer in your choice of 11 cities globally. To visit our website, please click here.

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