Thinking about attending your first nursing career fair? It might seem a little intimidating to interact with future employers while you’re still working on your nursing degree, but there’s no better time to start carving out your future career path. To help you get ready, we’ve gathered our best nursing career fair tips and advice.
What to Expect at a Nursing Career Fair
Each Goldfarb Career Fair is an opportunity to meet potential employers, learn about positions you might not otherwise consider, and connect with other students and professionals. You should expect to meet with several local hospital recruiters and talk about your interests, shadowing and employment opportunities. If you don’t speak to anyone during a nursing career fair, you’re missing out!
Career fairs aren’t limited to students close to graduation, either. You’re encouraged to participate throughout your program, especially if you’re interested in opportunities to work as a nursing tech. For students in their final two terms, career fairs are a must if you want to have a job waiting for you after graduation.
Our Top Nursing Career Fair Tips
Whether you’re looking to make connections or land a job in the nursing field, set yourself up for success by preparing for a career fair in advance. To make sure you’re ready, follow these nursing career fair tips from Jessica Allen, our Academic and Student Support Advisor.
How to prepare
Nursing students should be ready to provide copies of their resume and cover letter and ask several questions to the recruiter.
There are several opportunities for Goldfarb students to get help updating their resume, such as working with their Academic and Student Support Advisor and faculty. Goldfarb also offers Optimal Resume, a tool that includes nursing resume samples, to all of our current students and alumni.
When it comes to the types of questions to ask at a nursing job fair, we recommend focusing on opportunities for professional development and volunteerism as well as asking about fellowships and nursing residency programs. In turn, you should expect to answer questions from recruiters about:
- Your strengths
- Ability to multitask between patient assignments
- What nursing specialty you’re interested in
- Your career goals
- What you value in regards to that company or organization
If you start to feel nervous, just remember that Goldfarb School of Nursing has a strong reputation and relationships with many local health organizations. You have a solid foundation from which to start building connections and explain your preparedness for entering the workforce.
What to do on the day of the Career Fair
For Career Fairs on the Goldfarb campus, we suggest that students come as early as possible so they have enough time to meet with a recruiter in-between or before classes.
In terms of what to wear, students should feel welcome to come as they are. However, professional or scrub attire is encouraged to help you stand out. Along with your resume, cover letter and questions, bring a smile, enthusiasm, and an interest in learning more about the employers.
How to follow up with employers
While you’re at a Career Fair, don’t forget to grab business cards or other contact information for the employers you interact with. Then make sure to send an email thanking them for taking the time to meet that day. You can also inquire about shadow opportunities, which we highly encourage Goldfarb students to do when you’re not sure about pursuing a specialty area.
Lastly, we recommend visiting employers’ websites. Most companies want students to apply to jobs online, and checking out their sites is a great way to get a feel for what they’re looking for and the type of environment you’d be working in. Bonus points for looking up their social media profiles on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn!
Career Fairs at Goldfarb
Feeling ready to attend the next nursing job fair? At Barnes-Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing, all students receive a notice about upcoming Career Fairs. You should also be on the lookout for posters on campus and newsletter announcements.
Once you have a Career Fair marked in the calendar, just remember to wear a smile, stay open minded, and come prepared to ask great questions to employers you’re interested in. You won’t want to miss out on these special opportunities to put your nursing career on the right track.
