You’ve attended a career fair. Check. You’ve met some people. Yes! Now what? How do you take it to the next level to land an internship or “get one of those job things?”
After these career fairs or networking conversations, you have an opportunity to keep in touch and to even leave a lasting impression.
Recruiters and hiring managers like to hear from you. That’s why they attend networking events, after all. So how can you keep in touch?
Here is a tip directly from one recruiter who said he loves when candidates do this:
Did a recruiter give you advice on what steps to take? First, let them know you’ve heard them and that you plan to take their advice. Then actually take their advice, follow up again, and get even more advice. After a career fair, you have an opportunity to build lasting professional relationships with the people you meet.
ELEMENTS OF POST-EVENT FOLLOW-UPS
Six aspects of post-event correspondence:
- Connect quickly – Within 24 hours, ideally, follow up kindly and briefly acknowledging the time you spent together.
- Use a professional subject line in emails – Something like “Thank you for our conversation at <name event>.”
- Jog the recruiter’s memory – Remind the recruiter of your conversation and anything that stood out.
- Let them know you value their time and guidance – Thank them for spending time with you. Even more, if a recruiter has offered you advice, let them know you’ve listened and your specific plan to follow up on the steps they’ve recommended.
- Show interest – Share something that excited you about their company or a specific role.
- Standout as an applicant who is committed and follows through – You might include a thoughtful question that shows you did your research to leave a positive impression. In addition, realizing that recruiters get hundreds or thousands of applicant emails, you might ask about how they prefer to keep in touch, and then honor their request.
Last but not least, be concise: Out of respect for busy schedules, you want to be straightforward. Therefore, no more than 2-3 paragraphs should suffice.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Articles and scripts to help you craft your approach:
- The Right Way to Follow Up After a Career Fair with sample emails
- Five Examples of a Follow Up Email after a Career Fair with bonus tips
- Search Tips: How Do I Follow Up After an Interview written by our own career coach, Cameo Hartz
If you want a Duke career coach to look over your correspondence, find us on Handshake!
Diligent follow-up and follow-through will set you apart from the crowd and communicate excellence.
John C Maxwell, author of 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
