Questions re: career fairs

[gryphonrhi]

Anyone who's been to a career fair, could you reply to this? I need some information on one. Thanks!

Also, as long as I'm at it, anyone driven from Baltimore to D.C?

Comments

[themouseketeer]

For some as yet to me unknown reason they were known as 'The Milkround' in the UK. Lots of companies would do the rounds of universities, setting up stalls within a big hall on campus. Then you'd get companies 'selling' their graduate training programmes, universities plugging the idea of continuing education - MBA anyone? Doctorate? and a couple of places offering services such as CV/resume checks.

At non-graduate fairs, there are sometimes seminars you can go to - usually free and lasting about an hour plus questions. Done by a major company on something like "How to survive office politics." i.e. something that will appeal to a large number of people but can also be used to raise their company profile because they're doing such a big thing and also used as a showcase to show how good a company they are to work for. They're usually pretty good and not too much a thinly disguised sales pitch for the company.

There are sometimes private interview rooms so that companies can conduct interviews on the day, too. So if I was going I would a)wear my interview suit and b) carry lots of copies of my CV.

Usually there is a cafe to buy drinks/snacks. And sometimes a 'hospitality area' for the bigwigs and companies and their guests (informal interview, anyone?)

I've never actually had any success at one. They are often crowded and too many people wanting to talk to the same company for my liking. But it is interesting seeing who has a prescence (not necessarily the same thing as 'who is *actually* recruiting'!!)