By Darrell Sawyer
Guest Writer

Career fairs, which the School of Mines has been holding for more than 20 years, are win-win situations for both students and employers. These events provide students the opportunity for direct contact with employers. The connections students make with employers can lead to interviews and result in job offers. For employers, career fairs offer an excellent way to get to know students beyond their resumes and to identify those students who are a good fit for their organization.

Traditionally at career fairs, students hand copies of their resumes to recruiters for them to review and ask questions. That is still common practice at most career fairs. However, some employers now no longer accept resumes at career fairs and instead tell students to apply online through their company’s website.

Occasionally some students get upset at employers that won’t take their resume and think they are getting the “brush-off” by being told to apply online. However, that is not the case. In these cases, online applications usually are a required part of the company’s process. Unless candidates apply online, they will not even be considered.

Being told to apply online causes some students to question the value of attending career fairs. However, students should take advantage of the opportunity to visit with the recruiters and get some advice on the company’s application process. For example, students might ask recruiters questions such as:

• What can I do to increase my chances of my resume being noticed online?
• What is the most critically important information to include on my resume?

Even though some employers may not take your resume, their recruiters may write down the names of students who impressed them at the career fair. After the career fair, the recruiters may search for those students’ applications in their online system and bring them to the attention of the hiring managers.
Thus, students should never pass up the chance to make a good impression and to be professional in their interactions with employers.

Regardless of whether employers take your resume or tell you to apply online, career fairs remain a very important tool in the job search process. They provide priceless opportunities for students to have face-to-face conversations with employers and sell themselves that likely wouldn’t be available to them otherwise.