- “Tell me a little about yourself.” …
- “What are your biggest weaknesses?” …
- “What are your biggest strengths?” …
- “Where do you see yourself in five years?” …
- “Out of all the candidates, why should we hire you?” …
- “How did you learn about the opening?”
Job Fair Advice: How to Use Your 5 Minutes to Get an Interview
Pre-register for the event
Pre-registering for the event typically allows you to share your contact information and resume with companies who are hiring in advance of the fair, allowing them to familiarize themselves with your name and credentials before ever meeting you.
Good questions to ask at a career fair
Here are some different kinds of questions you should consider asking at a career fair:
How to prepare for a job fair
Here are the steps you should take to prepare for an upcoming career fair.
Practicing Responses to Typical Interview Questions Job-Seekers May Encounter at Career Fairs
Its a wise idea to prepare and practice responses to typical job interview questions. You dont want to memorize your responses, but you also dont want to seem as though you have never heard the question before. We actually suggest writing your responses to typical interview questions as a memory aid, but how you do it is up to you — just do it!
Interestingly, the elevator speech you just worked on is a great response to use when the interview asks one of the most common questions of all: “tell me about yourself.”
Unless its a very slow day at the career fair, you will not get asked too many questions, but we also know job-seekers who have actually been asked to complete a more detailed screening interview — at the career fair. So, being overly prepared will not hurt you.
Other common interview questions:
Ask About a Particular Role
Most people will come up to a table, say hello and give a little spiel about their background, and then ask, “Do you have any open roles?” according to Muse career coach Chelsea Williams, who in a previous position at an asset management firm attended dozens of career fairs to look for talent. “The recruiter will sometimes say, ‘We do. Check the website.’ That’s not a powerful way to maximize your time,” she says. And it tells the recruiter that you didn’t take the time to do any research and you’re not serious about their company.
Don’t be one of those people. You can stand out right away by taking a different approach. Spend some time ahead of the event looking through the list of companies attending, finding a handful that seem most enticing to you, learning what you can about them, identifying any roles that seem like a good fit for you, and ideally submitting your application before you walk in.
That way, you can use your time to delve deeper into anything that wasn’t clear in the job description and to gather information beyond what’s available online, which could help you continue to evaluate whether it’s really the right fit and come in handy later if you move forward in the interview process.
You can try to get right to the heart of the matter by asking, “What are you truly looking for in this role if you could have your ideal candidate?” Morell suggests. Not only can you get the inside scoop on what’s most important to them, but it also “gives you an opportunity to say, ‘Oh, this is how I’ve done that!’”
Try questions like:
Video of Virtual interviewing tips and tricks from WMU Career and Student Employment Services
Telephone or conference: A recruiter or hiring team schedule an interview which is conducted over the phone or scheduled through a conferencing service provider. You answer questions which will determine if you advance to the next step in the employers hiring process.In-person: A one-on-one, or group, interview between you and a recruiter or hiring team. You are asked questions about your work experience, personality, and competencies to determine if you are the optimal candidate for the job.One-way video: A recruiter or hiring team sends you interview questions and you record your answers on video using a phone or video camera and send your video to the employer for review.Virtual: A live cloud-based video, instant messaging program, or web-conferencing service, where you and the recruiter (or hiring team) connect face to face by webcam. The structure is the same format as an in-person interview.
FAQ
What questions are asked at a job fair?
- Ask About a Particular Role. …
- Ask About the Hiring Process. …
- Ask About Their Experience. …
- Ask About Growth and Development. …
- Ask About the Company’s Products, Services, or Recent News. …
- Ask About Company Culture. …
- Ask How You Can Stay in Touch.
What are the 10 most common interview questions and answers?
- Could you tell me about yourself and describe your background in brief? …
- How did you hear about this position? …
- What type of work environment do you prefer? …
- How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations? …
- Do you prefer working independently or on a team?
How long is an interview at a job fair?
What is a career fair interview?
