Upcoming Fairs | Virtual Career Fairs | Your Professional Image | Student Org Collaboration
Career Fairs and other recruiting events are a great opportunity to meet representatives of companies looking to hire talented employees—including Illinois Tech students and graduates. At Career Fairs you also can get tips about finding a great job from students who are getting ready to graduate or alumni who are back to recruit more outstanding talent. See our News and Events page or log into Handshake to see upcoming recruitment events!
Upcoming Career Fairs
New Alumni & Students Virtual Career Fair
We are pleased to announce our inaugural New Alumni & Students Virtual Career Fair taking place this May! This fair is intended to assist those students graduating in May to connect with employers, and for current students to find just-in-time summer internship experiences
When: Thursday, May 28th, 2020, 12-4pm
We will be using a new platform called InternX for the event, which will provide a video-based opportunity to engage with employers. All connections are scheduled in advance, so be sure to sign up and create your profile early!
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PREPARE for virtual career fairs?
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Do your research. Browse the Virtual Career Fair online space to become familiar with how it works. Review the participating employers and what types of jobs they have available. Go to company websites, social media pages and check to see if they've had any recent news releases. This will help you be more savvy and energized in the conversation and showcase why you're a good fit for the job.
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Update your resume and social media accounts. When you register you'll fill out an online profile including your resume. Make sure it's clear, concise and up-to-date. Have a copy handy for you to refer to during interviews. Be sure to scrub your online profiles of any "unprofessional" posts or photos.
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Type some notes. Save some time and prepare your introduction and pre-write some questions in advance. (Ask about the company culture, upcoming changes, special projects, etc.)
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Keep conversations focused and professional. Your goal is connect with all the companies on your list. These are live chat conversations, so be aware of typos and avoid emoticons. Post sticky notes on your desk to remind you of three main selling points about yourself.
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Dress professional for a video-based chat! The May Career Fair will be video-based, so be prepared to have video-based discussions with employers. Also, be sure to plan your backdrop and space to reduce the possibilities for distractions - you don't want to have pets barking or roommates making noise in the background if it can be avoided!
Chicago-area career fairs (year-round)
Students who take the initiative in their job search are more successful. In addition to using your existing network, see what networking and job fair events are taking place in your city and put yourself in front of the people who are hiring. Below are external websites listing a variety of job fair events by location.
- U.S. Job Fair Directory
- Eventbrite Career Fairs
- Metro Chicago Jobs
- Choice Career Fairs
- Best Hire Career Fairs
Campus-wide career fairs at Illinois Tech
Our campus-wide career fairs are held each semester, and are two days, separated by general industry groupings to allow for more companies to attend and make connections with more students and alumni. See photos from previous Career Fairs on our Flickr account.
Fall 2020 Career Fair Details
September 29 and 30, 2020
Hermann Hall, Main Campus
12 -12:30 p.m.: Early access to employers for students who complete the VIP Requirements
12:30-4 p.m. General student admission
The industries below are general categories. Make sure to check both days of the Fairs App prior to the fair in order to see which companies are attending and what kind of students they are hiring. Students and alumni can attend any or both days.
WEDNESDAY, September 29
- Computer Science
- Information Technology
- Business Services
- Government
- Non-Profit
- Military
- Search firms
THURSDAY, September 30
- Engineering
- Industrial Technology
- Architecture
- Natural Sciences
Sponsors
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Student Registration and Attendance
- Student are encouraged to have a resume that has been reviewed and approved by Career Services.
While not a requirement for this fair, a refined resume makes a huge impression on employers and will give you better opportunities to land an interview! - Students who complete the VIP Program will have early, exclusive access to employers from Noon-12:30 p.m. each day. General admission will begin at 12:30 p.m.
- Why? This is an opportunity for students to set themselves apart to employers by preparing for future employment prior to graduating.
Preparation
Success is a direct result of preparation. Make sure you take time to prepare for your employer interactions at Career Fairs. Here a few ways to prepare:
- Update your resume
- Improve your LinkedIn profile
- Research companies of interest
- Prepare and rehearse a short introduction
- Plan your professional wardrobe or borrow from our clothing closet
- Become a Career Fair VIP
View our complete Career Fair Checklist
Career Fair VIP Program
Set yourself apart ...
Get exclusive access ...
Become a Career Fair VIP!
The VIP Program helps students be better prepared to speak to employers at the Career Fair and will draw employers’ attention to students’ resumes. Students who complete the required steps will receive a special ribbon designation on their Career Fair name tags and will have their resumes added to an exclusive resume book given to all recruiters.
Virtual Career Fairs
Virtual career fairs are a great opportunity for students to participate in meaningful conversations with companies and learn about their culture, job requirements, and more. It’s an unintimidating way to pursue opportunities, learn about companies, network, and perfect an elevator pitch, all through short, easy, text-based chats.
See our events calendar.
Professional Image
STYLE GUIDELINES
Professional dress is highly recommended for the campus-wide Career Fair. Jeans, t-shirts, casual shoes (sneakers), shorts, and hats* are discouraged and we will certainly discuss with any student dressed inappropriately the negative impact their dress will have on their chances of making a good impression with a company. (*We do not discriminate against headwear worn for religious or cultural identity.) For more details, see the Illinois Tech Career Fair Style Guide or contact the Office of Campus Life.
PROFESSIONAL PORTRAITS
Career Services often invites a professional photographer to take professional portraits for students and alumni in the week before or week of the campus-wide career fairs, free of charge. Professional portraits can be accessed below. Password required!
The password to see the photographs is the semester and date (e.g. fall2016).
- Spring 2020
- Fall 2019
- Spring 2019
- Fall 2018
- Spring 2018 - password: spring2018
Student Organization Customized Career Events
Career Services invites student organizations to partner with us. Our active and collaboration will benefit your student organization by creating special connections with Career Services, Alumni Affairs, employers, graduate school representatives and other professionals. We will work with your student leadership and membership to create a set of activities and opportunities to help your organization develop bridges and multiple pathways into the workplace with personalized workshops, opportunities to co-sponsor events, and co-host panels. We strongly encourage student groups to collaborate in their partnership with us throughout the year. Read more below, and the submit a request to collaborate: Career Services Networking Request Form.
