What makes one candidate stand out from the others at a career fair?

My son is a junior Industrial Engineering major looking for a quality or manufacturing position. I don't hire engineers or interns, so my advice is largely generic and probably not unique from what he gets at the career center.

• They're engaging; they can carry a conversation
• They know what they want
• They have experience outside of the classroom
• They know something about what my company does or is willing to hear what my company does
• Asks intelligent questions
• Knows how to close the deal and ask what the next steps are.

(Probably not any different than any other internship.)

GrayMatter has great points especially for new Grad interviews

Specifically dealing with the Engineering Job Fair tomorrow. .
He should have a list (and I think map) of the companies that are there.
He needs four or five that he already knows he wants to talk to. Location of Firm type of work they do etc.
At that point he needs to walk in and find those companies. After that follow most of what GrayMatter already said and really make sure he knows how to shake my peoples hands and look them in the eye, talk loud enough to be heard etc.
As an intern we do not expect them to actual know much real world engineering or to have experience.
The time he will have to make an impression is measured in seconds at these events..

Being a small/medium size Engineering Firm I would also suggest he skip the big named Firms in his field unless he really wants to work for them. Those Firms will have long lines and he can get stuck there a long time to be one of a hundred resumes and then he might miss out on lots of great firms that are also there.

Nm

This is could be written by me, it's exactly what I did back in 2012. Had a plan to target smaller companies and was sure to research them each to be able to converse with each.

I had 7 interviews lined up after the career fair and an offer within the month.

Yep, research smaller firms to show interest and presenting yourself with confidence will put you in the top 10%

Any companies you forgot to research on, do a bit of googling on your phone as well at the fair.

Have an idea of what you're most proud of on your resume. Or what you're most interested in.

You will stand out today if you do research on a company beforehand. It was super common when I was at school but from what I hear it's not so common anymore.

Unfortunately it's not 2021 or 2022 type economy.

Why was the job fair off campus this year? Why can't it be at reed arena?

I agree with the solid firm handshake.

Keep your phone in your pocket/bag until there's an appropriate time to use it e.g. scan a QR code to apply for a role, snap a pic of a business card, etc. If that moment doesn't happen, keep your phone away and just talk.

Ask the recruiter questions about themself. What's your role? How long have you been there? People love talking about themselves. Find something you have in common. You'll now be memorable to the person that has 300 resumes in their stack.

I recruit for my F500 corporate overlords. Was just at the A&M engineering career fair last week. Saw a lot of ISENs but was generally recruiting all engineering majors. Couple of major points:
-General report from students was that nearly every company was pushing an online portal. So make sure your son is applying online even if they didn't see the company in person.
-Show interest in the company, Generally just ask the recruiter what a day in the life looks like, where their major fits. What the recruiter does. 99% of recruiters are volunteers being led by one person who is actually on a recruiting payroll within the company. Talk about some personal and school projects, some things you like about your major, the industry, etc. Its okay to not know what specifically the company does but at least know the basics of the industry.
-ISEN is interesting because there are a variety of places to get plugged in. Could be manufacturing, could be inspection, could be supply chain. Be sure to look up when Mays does a supply chain career fair as well.
-To learn about any specific company the best, ask chatgpt about the industry to learn. Read annual reports. Have Chatgpt summarize the reports. Get on twitter and see what discussions are going on.
-Firm handshake, eye contact, good hygiene, able to stand and have a conversation.
-Traits I'm looking for: Eagerness, competence, curiousity, conversationality, hands on experience. Interns are tracks to become new hires so I still ask myself the same questions - would I like to work with this person? Can I trust them with complex projects eventually?
-Have a good story that highlights technical depth and problem solving. Was there a time you kept asking why and it uncovered a bigger problem that was solved or you solved it? Your story doesn't have to end with you saving the world, I just want to see technical curiousity, eagerness, and competency depth.

An internship is usually lopsided in favor of benefiting the intern. There's usually a small 'we'd like to actually get this solved but dont have the manpower' problem we can't get around to doing that we like handing off to an intern. The biggest value an intern has is showing up eager to learn and eager to help.

I know junior year is a big year to have an internship. Personally as a mid career guy, go work at a summer camp one more time. You won't be able to get that summer back and you'll have the rest of your life to slog away at work.

Personally, previous internships never impressed me directly, but it does give students focus about what they like or don't. I worked a summer camp two summers, had two internships, and worked a summer camp again before I left. Guess which summers I look back fondly the most.

I'm happy to review resumes, talk to your son, etc. And that goes to anyone chiming in on this thread.

TheMasterplan said:

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Any companies you forgot to research on, do a bit of googling on your phone as well at the fair.

Have an idea of what you're most proud of on your resume. Or what you're most interested in.

You will stand out today if you do research on a company beforehand. It was super common when I was at school but from what I hear it's not so common anymore.

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This! Ive attended quite a few career fairs all across the US, and I cant tell you how many times students came up to our booth and had no idea who we were or what we did, when we were the largest and best paying employer in that area. We dont expect every student to knows the ins and outs of our company/business, but just the tiniest bit of research will set you apart from the rest.

The ones we hired were typically the ones that came prepared and researched the company ahead of time.

Quote:

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-Firm handshake, eye contact, good hygiene, able to stand and have a conversation.

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You can teach someone engineering. It's harder to teach someone to not be an a55hole. Had one knucklehead tell me he'd heard all about our company, and even me specifically, even though there's no way the timeframe would have lined up. 'Twas a bold strategy, Cotton.

Another dude rapid fired questions almost non-stop, only pausing to take notes in a notepad, as if he was interviewing me. It was a hard no ten seconds in.