Top Tips for 2024 Career Expos

Career Expos attract large numbers of employers onto AUT campus to meet you all. Many employers will not be recruiting on the day but come to meet potential employees. They are looking for great skills but also how well a graduate will fit well into their organisation.

However Career Expos are not Job Fairs. Often employers come to get an idea of who might be a good candidate for roles later in the year, so don't expect employers to be handing out jobs. Instead this is an opportunity to make a good impression and get known by future employers so when they are ready to recruit, they know who you are.

Here are some tips on how to prepare.

BEFORE THE DAY ...

• Attend a workshop about preparing for career expos. These are run by the Employability and Careers team and can be booked through Elab Online.
• Research all the employers attending that interest you. How? Visit company websites, find them on LinkedIn, Google and Elab Online.
• Make sure your CV is up to date and highlights your skills, knowledge and experience. (Book into a CV workshop through Elab Onine to check if your CV is good enough)
• Draw up a list of questions to ask employers that show you've researched them and your areas of interest, including graduate programmes.
• Always prepare a one-minute introduction (your ‘elevator pitch’) showing a clear career focus: “Hi my name is … I will be graduating from AUT with a degree in … I’m interested in…“.  This is really important because you want to come across as confident and capable. And rest assured, employers are not expecting great speech makers, they just want to be able to look you in the eye and have a conversation with you about your career goals.
• Practice answers to questions an employer might ask, eg  what have you learnt from your course? Why are you interested in working for our organisation?

ON THE DAY ...

• Dress professionally. You know… don't dress like you're off to the beach. Get rid of the gum, make sure your hair is clean and your clothes are tidy and not crumpled.
• Look at who is coming (on Elab Online) and work out beforehand what organisations you are most keen on making contact with. Aim for them first.
• Don’t break into conversations, but also don’t hang back doing nothing and hoping an employer will notice you. Be courteous and polite. Spend 5 to 10 minutes with an employer, then move on unless they ask you to stay longer.
• Always offer your CV (not scruffy though). Some employers are keen to get CVs at expos, others would rather you contacted them on LinkedIn or sent it by email, so ask what they'd prefer.
• Ask how their recruitment process works. When does the internship, graduate programme or job close? What happens once your application is in?
• Collect business cards or write down contacts. Always ask the best way to follow-up. If you leave your CV with them, would they like you to make a follow up call? Recruiters can vary. Some want emails, some a phone call, and some want you to wait for them to call you. As already mentioned, many will suggest joining up on LinkedIn.
• Listen carefully to what employers say to you and make notes after each conversation so you don’t inadvertently muddle up information about different organisations.
• Follow up afterwards. Over the next week or two, make sure you follow up on any suggestions they made to you - or get in touch politely and tell them you met at the AUT career fair and you'd like to keep in touch.

Need help?

Get in touch with our helpful  Employability and Career specialists by popping into the Employability Lab (Elab)( at WA202, or hopping online to book into a workshop or organise a one-to-one appointment through Elab Online. These are done at the Elab and online.

Not used Elab Online before? It's easy, just put in your AUT sign in name and password, then look for  'Events'. 'Workshops' or 'Appointments'.

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