How to talk to recruiters at a career fair

It can be difficult to know how to start a conversation with a recruiter at a career fair and strike that balance between information gathering and marketing yourself — should you wait for the recruiter to ask questions? Or should you take the lead and tell them about yourself and your qualifications? As a job seeker, the aim of these events is both to gather insights about an organization or job and to share information about yourself, demonstrating your interest or fit. In talking to recruiters, however, you don’t want to seem too rehearsed or overload them with information. Here are some tips for talking to recruiters and getting the most out of career fair conversations. Remember the basics You might be the 30th person a recruiter has spoken to that day and they will be exhausted, said Anne Steen, executive director of the Graduate Career Centre at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. “Smile, say hello, and be genuine — that goes a very long way in establishing rapport with somebody and then start with your questions,” she explained. Eye contact also matters, Steen added, and, while it can differ depending on where you are in the world, a handshake is often the norm when meeting someone at these types of events. Be well-informed Impress recruiters by being well-informed and asking powerful questions, Steen advised. Find out what organizations are exhibiting, see what positions they have open, and who else works there. Then, develop a strategy — who you are going to talk to, what questions are you going to ask, and put together your value proposition, which can differ depending on the organization or position. Think about the key things that you could bring to that organization, Steen said, whether it’s experience, skills, or a specific product or project you have worked on. Shana Montesol Johnson, executive, career, and leadership coach, agreed. Don’t ask recruiters questions that you could find the answers to on Google, she said. “You don’t want to waste their time, you also want to show that you have enough interest and enough initiative to find out the basics on your own,” Montesol Johnson explained. Keep it conversational Career fairs are opportunities for “targeted networking,” Montesol Johnson said. There is, however, some structure to these events so, if you are someone who dreads networking, you can take comfort in knowing that the people standing behind the exhibitor booths are expecting to have these conversations and for you to introduce yourself. This is a chance for you to meet with someone face to face and to establish a connection with them, Montesol Johnson said. Have a human-to-human conversation, she continued, and do not get bogged down in talking them through your eight-page CV. Montesol Johnson also recommended taking a few minutes between each conversation to jot down notes or take a short walk to clear your head so you are not starting these interactions appearing stressed and overwhelmed. Ask the recruiters questions about their own experience For more introverted personalities, the idea of striking up a conversation with a recruiter or another attendee can be daunting. In these situations, tapping into your curiosity about people with questions can help, Montesol Johnson said. Steen agreed and added that if you are struggling to get the conversation going, ask questions about the recruiter’s work experience. For example, what led them to work for their organization or the organizational values that spoke to them. You can also look for areas of common interest, including projects you have worked on or where and what you studied. “Sometimes, if you get the person talking about themselves … that can be a very interesting and powerful tool to get that conversation going,” Steen said. Don’t recite an overscripted elevator pitch Throughout your conversations, look to weave in elements of your elevator pitch. How you go about this can depend on the recruiter. Some recruiters are very savvy, Steen explained, and know exactly what questions to ask and how to maximize their time and efficiency. Other times, the conversation will be a little more difficult to get started. You want to be prepared for both situations, she said, but you don’t want to do a data dump and “just throw everything out there.” Montesol Johnson agreed. Start by asking questions and taking an interest in them as a person, she said, then look for opportunities to mention pieces of your elevator pitch. Connect the dots for them If you are looking to transition into global development from another sector, don’t assume that your graduate degree demonstrates your career pivot and that people will pick up on these things, Steen explained. “It’s really important to connect the dots for the person,” she said, “and help them understand what lead you from one industry to another.” Often, the connector is your passion for something, and there is a story there that can be pretty compelling, Steen continued. It might be that you did pro bono work that involved working in inner-city schools and this fueled your interest in education in developing contexts, Steen added.