Career Fair Tips for College Students: What to Say, Bring and Ask

A career fair gives you a few minutes with the people who recruit for a company, before you're one more application in their system. It pays off more often than the lines suggest: in NACE's 2024 Student Survey, more than 45% of students who went to a career fair said an employer offered them an interview afterward, and nearly a quarter said they were offered a job (NACE).

These career fair tips run from the week before to the follow-up email, with scripts for what to say. If your fair is today, start with the 30-second introduction.

Still working out when summer internship applications open? Our summer 2027 internship timeline has the dates; this guide is about the fair itself.

What recruiters are listening for

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) asks employers which skills they look for on college students' resumes. In its Job Outlook 2026 Spring Update, the top three among the 163 employers who answered were teamwork, problem-solving and verbal communication (NACE). A booth conversation tests the third directly and gives you room to show the first two.

NACE puts it plainly: listing your skills isn't enough, because employers want to see examples. Grades also count for less than they did: only 42% of employers in NACE's Job Outlook 2026 survey screen candidates by GPA, down from 73% in 2019, and 70% use skills-based hiring (NACE). Other NACE research found that more than 80% of employers name a role's key skills in its job description, so the posting tells you which example to bring.

The week before the career fair

1. 7 days out: get the employer list. Register early: Texas A&M's career center says signing up early gets you information on participating companies and prep events (Texas A&M Career Center). On Handshake, open Events, click the fair, then the Employers tab; each employer's page lists the jobs it's offering at the fair (Handshake).
2. 6 days out: make a short list. You won't reach everyone. UT Austin's College of Natural Sciences career office suggests a prioritized list, so that if time runs out you've still met the most important employers (UT Austin CNS Career Services). Make an A-list of 5 to 8 and a B-list of 3 to 5. Leave the rest for spare time; Texas A&M suggests trying tables with short lines, where unexpected opportunities turn up.
3. 5 days out: write a cheat sheet. Five lines per A-list employer: what they do, in one sentence; the roles they're recruiting for at this fair; the skills those postings name (circle the one you can prove best); one recent piece of news; and two or three questions.
4. 4 to 2 days out: apply and fix your resume. If a role you want is already posted, apply now. Texas A&M recommends applying before the fair and telling the recruiter you have, and a one-page resume built around your most relevant or recent experience. Get it reviewed at your career center this week. To tailor it to a posting, Lykke's free Technical & Professional Writing course has a section on resumes and other employment documents that covers writing for a recruiter who skims and a manager who reads closely.
5. The night before: practice your introduction and questions out loud, print your resumes and lay out your clothes.

How to introduce yourself at a career fair

UNC Charlotte's career center says you have about 30 seconds to make an impression (UNC Charlotte Career Center). Often the recruiter speaks first, which UT Austin's natural sciences office calls the usual pattern; your introduction is for when they don't. Either way, the same five parts answer "tell me about yourself".

The formula

1. Who you are: name, year, major.
2. One proof: a specific thing you did that shows a skill their posting names. A detail or a result, not an adjective.
3. What you want: the kind of role and when, or "I'm exploring".
4. Why them: one thing from your research.
5. A question that hands the conversation back.

Practice it out loud against a timer, but don't memorize a script: the same UT Austin office warns that memorized answers sound robotic. Learn the five parts and let the wording change from table to table. The free Principles of Public Speaking course calls this extemporaneous delivery, prepared and practiced but neither read nor memorized, and compares it with the alternatives in its section on organization, outlining and delivery.

Two worked examples

A junior in computer science, looking for a summer 2027 internship:

"Hi, I'm [name], a junior in computer science. Last spring I built the room-booking tool the tutoring center where I work still uses. I'm looking for a software engineering internship for summer 2027, and last week I applied to your backend internship. I read about [a recent project]. What would an intern on that team work on?"

A senior in marketing, looking for a full-time role:

"Hi, I'm [name], a senior in marketing, graduating in May. I run social media for a student organization, and when I replaced our flyer posts with short member videos, turnout at our events went up. I'm looking for an entry-level marketing role, and on Monday I applied to your brand associate opening. What does that team look for in a new hire?"

Each has a proof a recruiter can picture, a clear ask and an easy question. Leave out adjectives about yourself, your life story and your GPA unless they ask. (If you're exploring rather than applying, there's a first-year version below.)

Questions to ask recruiters (and ones to skip)

Bring two or three questions per A-list employer, at least one that only that employer could answer. These work at almost any table:

• The role: "What does an intern on [team] spend most of their time on?" or "What do your strongest interns have in common?"
• The timeline: "When do you interview for summer internships, and how many rounds are there?"
• The bar: "Is there a GPA cutoff for your recruiting process?"
• Your fit: "What kinds of roles here are open to someone with my background?"
• The next step: "What's the best next step for me after today?"

UNC Charlotte's career center flags the first two, since research answers them, and USC's tells students not to ask about salary, benefits or work hours at the fair (USC Career Center).

If you'll need visa sponsorship

Check before the fair. Handshake's job search has a work authorization filter (under All filters) with options including open to US visa sponsorship, OPT and CPT, and each job page shows whether the role requires US work authorization. At virtual fairs, you won't see 1:1 sessions whose work authorization requirements you don't meet (Handshake). At the booth, ask about the role first, then: "Is this position open to candidates who will need sponsorship?"

On an F-1 visa, practical training such as an off-campus internship in the US needs authorization before it starts: from your designated school official for CPT, and from USCIS for OPT (Study in the States). Talk to your international student office before you have an offer, and see our internship timeline for this year's CPT guidance.

What to bring to a career fair, and what to wear

Skip the cover letter (USC's career center says you don't need one at a fair) and, if you can, the big backpack: UT Austin's natural sciences office suggests carrying light so you can skip the bag-check line.

Dress codes differ, so check your fair's page first. USC's career center requires conservative business attire at its fair, while MIT's tells first-years that business casual is fine and they don't need a suit if they don't usually wear one (MIT CAPD). With no stated rule, UT Austin's natural sciences office suggests business professional or business casual, with comfortable shoes. No professional clothes? Ask your career center about a clothing closet; UNC Charlotte's gives students professional clothes to keep.

How to handle the conversation at the booth

On a busy day you may get 30 seconds to a minute with each recruiter, UNC Charlotte's career center warns. Four steps fit in that:

1. Open with your name and your introduction, or answer their questions if they start.
2. Hand over your resume while you talk, pointing to the line that matches their posting. UT Austin's natural sciences office says not to wait until the end, when the recruiter may be interrupted or move on.
3. Ask one or two questions and listen. The answers are what your follow-up email will mention. The free Principles of Public Speaking course's section on listening and feedback breaks active listening into attention, attitude and adjustment.
4. Close: "Thank you, this was helpful. What's the best next step for me, and could I have your card or email to follow up?"

Then step aside and take notes before the next table, as Texas A&M's career center recommends. Three lines will do: their name, one specific thing they said, the next step.

USC's career center advises visiting your top employers first; if you want a warm-up, make it one B-list table. And if your introduction comes out tangled, keep going: MIT's career office reminds first-timers that an awkward pitch is a normal part of a recruiter's day. If nerves are the bigger problem, the same course's section on the value of public speaking has a part on managing speech anxiety through gradual, low-stakes practice.

When the answer is "no" or "not yet"

"We're not hiring your major." USC's career center notes that a healthcare company may also hire for finance, data analytics and management. Texas A&M suggests saying why you're interested in the company and asking to be introduced to the recruiter who covers your major: "I came to your table because [reason from your research]. Is there someone in recruiting who covers [your major] roles?" Write down the name you get.

"Apply online." That's not a brush-off: USC's career center notes that recruiters have procedures to follow, even for candidates they're interested in. Ask which posting to apply to, and whether you may mention your conversation.

"We only hire juniors and seniors." Ask when someone in your year should apply and what would make you a strong candidate by then. The answer is your plan for next fall.

The follow-up email: within 24 to 48 hours

Texas A&M's career center says to send thank-you emails within 24 hours; UT Austin's natural sciences office says 24 to 48, because many recruiters go to several fairs a week and your email reminds them who you are. If a recruiter pointed you to a posting, apply first, then say so in the email along with something specific from your conversation, as Texas A&M advises.

Subject: Thank you from the [school] career fair: [your name], [major]

Dear [Ms./Mr./Dr.] [last name],

Thank you for talking with me at the [school] career fair on [day]. I enjoyed hearing about [one specific thing they said], and it made me more interested in [role or team].

As you suggested, I applied to the [job title] position today, and I've attached my resume. [One sentence connecting one of your experiences to what they said the team needs.]

Thank you again for your time.

Best regards,
[Full name]
[Major], [school], class of [year]
[Phone number], [LinkedIn URL]

The specific line matters most. "I enjoyed learning about your company" could come from anyone; "you said your interns present their project to leadership at the end of the summer" could only come from you.

• First- or second-year? Swap the application paragraph for your plan: "Following your advice, I'm joining [club] this semester and plan to apply for [program] next fall. May I check in with you then?"
• No email address? Send a LinkedIn connection request with a one-line note that names the fair.

Send one follow-up, not a series; UNC Charlotte's career center tells students not to flood recruiters with emails. For subject lines, greetings and sign-offs, how to email a professor covers the same rules.

Log who you met

Texas A&M's career center recommends putting every contact from the fair into a spreadsheet for future networking. Fill in one row per conversation the same night: employer, name and title, email, what you talked about, the next step and the date you did it. A week after the fair, any next step without a date is your next task.

Virtual career fair tips: what changes online

Employers are pulling back from virtual fairs: in NACE's yearly internship surveys, the share taking part in virtual career fairs fell from 94.2% in 2021 to 58.8% in 2024, and fewer than one-fifth rated virtual fairs and virtual recruiting effective for finding interns, against more than two-thirds for in-person fairs and on-campus recruiting (NACE). A virtual fair is still a direct line to a recruiter. On Handshake:

• Two kinds of sessions: group sessions with several students, and 1:1 sessions with you and one recruiter, each 10 to 60 minutes long (Handshake).
• Sign up early. You can sign up until a session ends, even during the fair, but a full group session disappears from the list, and you get one 1:1 per recruiter (Handshake).
• Get your profile ready. Handshake may ask you to change your profile privacy before you sign up (it recommends Community), and UT Austin's natural sciences office says to put your resume on your profile, set to public.
• Join on time. You can enter up to 5 minutes before the start. Have stable internet, a working camera and microphone and a tidy background (Texas A&M's list), and dress professionally at least from the waist up (UT Austin's).
• Follow up right away. When a session ends, Handshake opens a message box for writing to the recruiter.

In a busy group session, use the chat: your name, year and major, and a question about what the recruiter just said. Treat a 1:1 as a mini-interview, which is how UT Austin's natural sciences office says to treat every fair conversation.

Career fair tips for first-years and sophomores

Go. Texas A&M welcomes every major and class year at its fairs, and MIT's career office tells first-years it's fine not to be looking for an internship yet; for many, the point is to learn and get exposure. For you, a fair is research and practice:

• Practice your introduction while the stakes are low. The University of Florida's career center pitches a first-year fair as practice for junior year, when the stakes are real (UF Career Connections Center).
• Ask what to build this year. UF suggests asking which experiences and skills to work on over the next year, as in the example below.
• Ask about internships for your year, a question MIT's first-year guide suggests.
• Collect names. Connect on LinkedIn, then return to the same table next year and remind them where you met.

A first-year introduction is shorter and honest about where you are:

"Hi, I'm [name], a first-year thinking about economics or data science. I'm taking intro statistics and just joined the investment club. I'm not applying yet; I'm trying to understand what an analyst does day to day. What should I work on over the next year to be a strong candidate for your internship later?"

Bring a resume even if it's thin; UF's career center says you don't need a polished resume or years of experience to walk in. The payoff comes later: employers told NACE that an internship with their organization or in their industry weighs most when they choose between two otherwise equally qualified candidates (NACE). For the rest of the search, the internships and careers guides pick up from here.