Career Services

If you receive an interview at the Fair, the employer will give you an interview pass so you can get into the interview area.  The entrance to the interview area in Room 102A will be marked with signage on the first floor of the Minneapolis Convention Center.

C.) Maps -  Please print the map and directions on how to reach the Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC) from the fair web site and take it with you so you will be able to get to the MCC without losing your way.

SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY

INFORMATION EXCHANGE AT BOOTHS  —  9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

INTERVIEWS IN SECURED AREA  —  9:00 a.m. –  4:00 p.m.

Interviews may be pre-scheduled or scheduled while meeting candidates at the booths.
Ask for the interview!

LUNCH/DINNER (on your own) A list of restaurants will be made available.

UPON ARRIVAL AT THE FAIR

1. Doors to the employer booth area and private interview area open at 9:00 a.m.  The Fair closes at 3:00 p.m., but employers may schedule interviews in Room 102A  at the Minneapolis Convention Center until 4:00 p.m. Arrive at least 15 minutes early and be prepared to remain at the Fair for the entire day. 

2. Underground parking is available across from the Convention Center (entrances are on 2^nd Avenue South or 12^th Street South). The cost is about $7 per day.

3.  Be your best professional self!  Dress for the interview.  Arrive well rested and prepared so you project lots of energy, interest, capability and flexibility. Be assertive.  Make a positive first impression with direct eye contact, a smile, and a poised introduction of yourself. Be prepared to offer a firm handshake.  Your goal is to make a favorable overall impression so you will be invited to the organization for a follow-up interview, and if possible, for an initial interview at the Fair.

4. When you arrive, go directly to the MSUM  table in the lobby by the Ballroom. 
•  You will give you a fair name tag so you can gain access to employer & interview areas. 
•  A map of the employer booths will be provided. 
•  Consider bringing employer information for your reference (print from Fair web site).
•  Spouses/guests will not be allowed to enter the employer booth and interview areas. 

5. All Fair activities are on 1st floor (ground/street level) of the Convention Center:
a.) The Ballroom contains information booths staffed by employer representatives. Some employers provide printed information about their organization, job opportunities or products/services.
•  It is important to introduce yourself with confidence and a smile. 
•  Be prepared to tell employers something significant about yourself to gain their interest.
•  A positive attitude, that focuses on what you can do for the company, is a winning attitude. 
•  Offer a resume. Ask for the opportunity to interview at the Fair. 
•  While you are standing in lines, listen to what the recruiter is telling the person in front of you.  What you hear may prepare you to ask a question that will enable you to gain further insight into an organization's needs and hiring practices and/or prepare you to share information that will better market your capabilities.

NOTE: Interviews at the Fair will be scheduled only until an organization's interview schedule is filled. Since there will be about 1,200 candidates in attendance, it is important to make contact with the employers of particular interest to you early the day of the Fair. If they indicate that their Fair interview schedule is already full, stop at their booth in the afternoon because the lines of candidates will be gone and you will be able to spend more time marketing your capabilities to the recruiters. If you are interested in the organization, learn the procedure for scheduling an interview at their corporate headquarters or regional office.

b.) The Interview Area, in Room 102A, is set up to accommodate both pre-scheduled interviews and interviews scheduled while visiting the employer booths. You must wear your Fair nametag to enter this area and have a letter or e-mail from the employer, an interview schedule you prepared in phone conversations with interested employers,  or an interview pass, issued by an employer representative. 

6. Coat Check and Food Availability – Free beverages will be available in the welcome area of the Fair for those who arrive early in the day.  Snacks are sold in the Convention Center.  Coat check accepts only coats and the fee is $2.  Restaurants are within several blocks and the skyways will make it possible to stay indoors as you search out a place to have lunch.  A list of restaurants will be at the MSU Moorhead table.  Remove your nametag if you leave the Convention Center for lunch and replace it when you return to the Fair.

MAKING EFFECTIVE USE OF THE FAIR

1. Bring enough copies of your resume so you don't run out! You may visit with more than one representative of an organization if you return to the booth area later in the day or receive a scheduled interview, so you might want to bring at least two resumes for each organization of interest and additional resumes to share if you have time to visit with other employers representing organizations you did not identify as being of interest prior to Fair day. If you are a senior, you may want to bring a copy of your  transcript and a list of your references or letters of reference to show or share with employers if asked.

2. Consider bringing a sample from your portfolio that would provide evidence of your capabilities and accomplishments (especially if this is an expectation in your specialty).

3. Collect business cards and make notes on them to remember important points from conversations with recruiters. This information will facilitate effective follow-up after the Fair.

4. Use the time before or between interviews for reviewing literature and other materials available at the employer booths. If they have a video or computer set up in the booth, you may want to take a few minutes to review the information being presented via those formats. If the lines are long, consider returning in the afternoon to do this.

AFTER THE FAIR

1. Follow up on any commitments and/or promises you made during the Fair.

2. Write thank you letters/notes to the employer representatives with whom you interviewed. Also, write to any prospective employers of interest even if you did not have a personal interview at the Fair. Thank them for participating in the Job Fair, provide them with additional information that may strengthen your candidacy and ask for the opportunity to come to their place of employment for an interview.

3. Our experience has been that candidates who receive positions as a result of their initial contact at the Fair may do so six to nine months after the Fair as a result of carefully executed follow-up procedures such as phone calls, providing additional evidence of capabilities in updated resumes/letters and effective self-marketing in follow-up interviews.

4. You will receive an evaluation form. Please return it so the Fair Committee can use your comments in planning future fairs.