Career fairs are a great opportunity to meet representatives of companies looking to hire talented employees—including Illinois Tech students and alumni. At career fairs you can also get insights from alumni who are back to recruit talented Scarlet Hawks for their companies. See our Events page or log into Handshake to see upcoming fairs and other recruitment events!
Upcoming Career Fairs:
Fall 2024:
- On-Campus: Wednesday, September 25th & Thursday, September 26th, 2024
- Virtual Career Fair: Thursday, October 3rd, 2024
Student Registration opens on Monday, August 19th, 2024
Campus-Wide Career Fairs at Illinois Tech
Our campus-wide career fairs are held every Fall and Spring semester. We offer on-campus fairs that are usually two days long and are separated by general industry groupings to allow for more companies to attend and make connections with more students and alumni. Virtual career fairs are also available each semester to expand our reach of employers.
What can you do to prepare for career fairs?
- Do your research. Browse the 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 and social media pages 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.
- Update your résumé and social media accounts. Make sure your current resume is uploaded to Handshake and Jobs Connected and has been approved by Career Services staff prior to the event. Make sure it's clear, concise, and up-to-date. Have a copies handy for you to refer to during interviews. Be sure to scrub your online profiles of any “unprofessional” posts or photos.
- Make 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.)
- Keep conversations focused and professional. Think of three main selling points about yourself. In most cases, you’ll only have a few minutes to promote yourself, so be ready to get to the point and impress the recruiters!
- Dress professionally! Career Services has a Career Clothing Closet for all students. Contact Career Services for information if needed.
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 that list a variety of job fair events by location.
Student Registration and Attendance
Students are encouraged to have a résumé that has been reviewed and approved by Career Services.
While not a requirement every fair, a refined résumé makes a huge impression on employers and will give you better opportunities to land an interview!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 résumé
- Improve your LinkedIn profile
- Research companies of interest
- Prepare and rehearse a short introduction
- Plan your professional wardrobe - Ask Career Services about the Career Clothing Closet
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, video-based discussions.
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 that 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 below or contact the Office of Campus Life.
Professional Portraits
Career Services often invites a professional photographer to take professional portraits for students and alumni during the campus-wide career fairs, free of charge. Professional portraits can be accessed through the Career Services Department.
Student Organization Customized Career Events
Career Services invites student organizations to partner with us! Our active 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 submit a request to collaborate: Career Services Networking Request Form.