Unable to Attend Career Expo? Time for Plan B

Attending the Auburn University Career Center's Career Expos and meeting company representatives is an excellent way to learn more about jobs and interviews, get your name and face in front of recruiters, and practice your networking skills. However, perhaps you are unable to attend due to conflicts with class, labs, or work. What do you do then? Luckily, career expos are not the be all and end all of job search strategies. They are just one piece of a comprehensive job search plan.

Plan B

Step 1: Tiger Recruiting Link(TRL) Career Events
Review the list of companies attending each event. Make a note of the companies that expressed interest in your major and that you want to research. Also, see if the company provided a Recruiting Contact (name and/or email) in the expo registration. This information will be in the bottom right corner of the page, if provided. The registration/profile is a great starting point to conducting your research into the company, its products and services, and hiring needs.

Step 2: Information Sessions
Several companies have scheduled information sessions following the career expos and throughout the semester. Look under the Events tab and Information Sessions in TRL to see the list of scheduled events. Information sessions are a great way to learn more about a specific company and its career opportunities as well as meet and network with recruiters and employees. Take the time to introduce yourself to the representatives before or after the presentation.

Step 3: Jobs/Interviews Postings
Many companies attending the expos post job openings in TRL and come back to Auburn later in the semester to conduct interviews. Use the Jobs tab to search and apply for both jobs and on-campus interview positions. Also, visit the companies’ career websites to apply for openings. Look for links on the websites to college, new grad, or university recruiting. This will contain hiring information geared specifically toward college students.

Step 4: Follow-up
Draft a prospecting letter (Career Handbook, pg 31) to send the recruiting contacts gathered in Step 1. This letter will include, in written form, your pitch/elevator speech and helps you market your best qualities. Also, inform the contact that though you were unable to attend the career expo, you are interested in his/her company for xyz reason(s). These reasons should be specific to each company. Keep the email/letter short and to the point and maintain focus on highlighting your value as a candidate. If the company is coming back to campus for an information session and/or on-campus interviews, express your interest in meeting them at that time (Make sure you follow through).
Email Etiqutte Tips *Avoid sending a resume attachment by email without asking permission from the contact first.

If you are unable to attend the career expos this year, don’t view it as a shot to the job search jugular. Instead take action and find other opportunities for networking and reaching out to employers.