Career fairs can feel very high-stakes to job seekers. Industry can feel very hard to understand to people who haven’t been there yet. In order to help break down barriers and ensure that those searching for internships and jobs feel prepared, I’m including the 8 tips I strongly recommend for career fairs. These include best practices for before, during, and after the event. If you stick to these, you’ll surely make a strong impression and build your personal brand that lasts beyond the fair.

Pick the top 5 companies you want to prioritize talking to before the fair. Do your research before the event and have a clear priority order of who is most important for you to talk to. Keep in mind that career fair lines can be long, so you may not visit more than 5 companies, depending on your schedule. You could also make a list of “must talk to” and “would be nice to talk to” so you can practice with the “B” list first, or fill extra time with that list.

Have an idea of what you’ll talk to each company about. The least effective I have at career fairs usually sound something like, “Tell me about your company,” they mispronounce the company name, or clearly don’t know what we do. You don’t need to memorize everything about them, but generally understand what each organization does and what types of roles you may be interested in. Do you want to learn more about internships? Do they even offer internships? Do they have an entry-level development program? What types of jobs are available on their website?

Prepare your elevator pitch. It should include your name, what you’re studying, what you’re hoping to do in your career and how that connects to the company, and finished with a question. Here’s an example – “I’m Elizabeth Galbreath, a senior studying agricultural sciences. I’m interested in helping farmers solve problems on their operations, and am very interested in your Professional Development Program. Would you be willing to share more with me about that position?” (Not a joke, that exact elevator pitch got me my first job.) Be specific so they understand how your interests connect to the company. End with a question so they know how they can best help you.

As a recruiter, it’s hard for me to know what a student wants out of their visit with us unless they tell me, and the conversations need to usually be very brief due to limited time at an event. Please share with us what you want to learn at the booth or about us in general so we can get to the point and continue to meet others at the fair. In addition, let us know if you have already applied for any positions so we can view your application during or after the event.

And, a bonus tip (as mentioned above): I recommend writing it down to prepare it, practicing out loud a few times to get your nerves out, and saying it to a company that’s not as important to you as a warm-up at the actual event.

Dress for the occasion. I’ve seen a shocking number of people wearing athletic clothes at career fairs in the last couple of years, and quite frankly, it doesn’t make a positive first impression. Although I may lean more traditionally on business attire in an evolving professional world, I absolutely remember and am impressed if someone put the effort into looking nice and trying for the event – it shows they want to be there, they care about their personal brand and career, and that they take the opportunity to connect seriously.

And I remember when someone does NOT dress accordingly for the fair…I can’t recall one person who has dressed casually at a career fair (without a pretty solid excuse) who I’ve continued the conversation with. Even if you have class around the fair, do your future self a solid favor and dress up.

Bring a padfolio, a pen, resumes on quality paper, and your phone. It looks very professional if you have something like a padfolio to keep everything in neatly, including your phone (even if it’s just the outside pocket). I recommend bringing your phone in case the employers at the fair ask students to check-in on a website or via a QR code using their phone. However, when that’s not happening, please put the phone away and focus on the goal of the career fair. Some companies are moving away from paper resumes, but I recommend bringing some since many companies still take them. In addition, they can potentially give you feedback on the resume if you bring hard copies of them. I’d recommend bringing resumes on high-quality resume paper – although it feels pricey, but it’s a worthwhile investment – you’ll use it for a long time. Or you can split it with some friends to make the cost more manageable (that’s what I did!).

Be ready for anything. Some organizations may ask you to participate in an interview on-campus that day or that week after meeting you at their career fair booth. Other organizations may not interview people on-site or for months. Some employers might ask you to apply immediately for a role (especially before an interview), and others may tell you that you can take your time until all the career fairs are over. You may have a conversation with someone that you feel very confident about, but it ends up going nowhere. Or in the opposite case, you could feel very overwhelmed at how quickly they want to move forward.

Every organization operates their own way, and it can feel confusing as a candidate. However, I encourage you to be open, say yes to interviews for the practice, and take every in-person interaction seriously. Keep in mind that recruiters and hiring managers have a lot on their plates, and they can’t prioritize every candidate. Be patient in the process, ask questions as truly needed, and give grace as much as you can.

Follow-up with applications and thank-you emails. I have witnessed a significant decrease in candidates following through in the last few years. For the companies I’ve worked for, I can’t do anything with someone’s resume – I can only consider them if they have actually applied for the position. Although you don’t need to apply for the roles before the fair, it’s a great practice to follow-up by completing the application quickly after the event. I would also encourage you to accompany that with an email to the team you met at the career fair to both thank them for their time and confirm the position(s) for which you applied. If you don’t apply right away, I would recommend emailing the people you met with and thanking them for their time and the conversation within 48 hours. You can supplement that with a LinkedIn connection request (include a message about where you met them). It’s helpful to see someone’s name multiple times as we meet a lot of people, but be mindful of coming across too aggressively – you don’t want your name to be remembered for being too pushy and reaching out frequently in a short amount of time.

Stay open. Too many people remain closed-minded in their careers and think about all the reasons why something couldn’t or shouldn’t happen. I see this frequently with college students and entry-level professionals, which makes me incredibly sad. The beginning of your career is one of the most pivotal times for you to take chances, learn about what you like and don’t like, and really get to know yourself. Your first job doesn’t have to be your forever job. It’s about building credibility, experience, and discovering what you enjoy. Stay open to opportunities, even if they take you outside your comfort zone or away from home for a season.

Good luck in your internship and job searches! Check out my LinkedIn tips here as well.