A good tip for going to a fair is that you should be ”overprepared, under-structured”.

You should be really well-prepared when you arrive. You should have a plan for which companies you would like to talk to and what questions you will ask. You might have written the questions down at home and thought about (and maybe even practiced) how you would tell a little about yourself, if they ask you to do so.

At the same time, it is important that you do not get too set on your plans. You should leave room for changes, meeting with other companies and go for the opportunities that arises.

As preparation for the fair, we recommend that you find a (realistic) number of companies, which you will give extra attention to.

It might be a good idea to bring a ”wild card” – for instance one of the lesser known companies. Here you could be one of a few people who talk to them rather than one of many as could be the case for one of the larger, more well-known companies. Most importantly, they should be working with something that you find interesting. You might not be interested in what the company works with as a whole. However, the structure of how they work, and the tasks assigned to a specific job might just be spot on in relation to what you would like to do.

We recommend that you find some good and relevant questions to ask the company. These should demonstrate that you have looked into their company and that you also have an analytical flair. This way, you open the conversation by letting them tell you about the company, while at the same time, you have demonstrated part of your skills just in the question itself.

Also, a good question should be based on genuine curiosity. It is a cliché, but we say that you should ”seek knowledge – not a job”.

When a dialogue is ongoing, it is important that you do not let a ”mental manuscript” hinder the conversation. Instead, you should be prepared to offer your professional reflections and follow-up questions bit by bit.

Of course, you should also prepare to receive questions yourself. These you should be ready to answer. Therefore, make sure to really consider how you can explain your competencies in relatively short sentences – this is something you will need more than once (for instance, when they ask you at family gatherings).

Find help specifying your competencies

For some, it can be very intimidating to go and talk to companies at the fair.

It can be difficult to figure out how to initiate a dialogue with a company, so here is an idea to get started:

A good question to begin with could e.g. be: ”I have read about [company name] and I can see that you are working with [insert field]. I think that sounds really interesting. I am studying [insert programme] – do you have any employees with the same educational background as mine?”

Work out more yourself and continue the conversation from here.

Continue with the questions you have found during your research of the company – that way you demonstrate both that you are interested and that you have looked into the company and what it stands for.

Just to make it absolutely clear: It is not a good idea to open the conversation with ”Well, what is it that you do?”

Read about questions

Going to a fair can be a bit intimidating if you feel you have to go and ”sell yourself”. Therefore, it is worth remembering that the companies are at the fair because they wish to talk to you – and all the other participants. They know that you might be a little nervous and they do not expect much more than that you have looked a little into the firm and feel like asking them a few questions.

What all the firms have in common is that they have a purpose for being present at the fair.
They might be looking for:

• Student workers
• Full-time employees
• Master students for graduate programmes
• A project group for collaborations

Before the fair it is a good idea to look into:

• Which companies will participate?
• What are they looking for?

At the Career Fair in Aalborg and The Career Days (Karrieredagene) in e.g. Copenhagen you can find the answers in the fair catalogue, which will be available a couple of weeks before the event.

This gives you a chance to make a plan for which companies you would like to talk to an prepare yourself for meeting with them.

Every year you can meet a long list of companies and organisations at the Career Fair in Aalborg.

You can visit the fair as a student or graduate and you may find:

• Student job
• Internship
• Project collaboration
• Your first job

The Career Fair is organised by Aalborg University in collaboration with The Career Days.

Find information about companies and the date for the next Career Fair in Aalborg

The Career Days (Karrieredagene) gives you every opportunity for a good start on your professional career – no matter if you are still studying or if you have already graduated.

At the Career Days you might find:

• A student job
• An internship
• A project collaboration for your thesis
• Your first full-time job

Find the next date for The Career Days in Copenhagen

Career Fair Esbjerg is for you if you wish to know more about career opportunities in Esbjerg and its environs.

Career Fair Esbjerg takes place on the last Thursday in September

At the fair you can:

• Expand your professional network
• Get to know the companies better
• Perhaps find a job
• Get more clarity on your future and career
• Get professional guidance

Read about Career Fair Esbjerg

Around the country, there are many different fairs and events. For example:

• The Career Days (Karrieredagene) besides Aalborg and Copenhagen, they are also organised in Aarhus and Odense
• DSE Fair in Aalborg and in Lyngby
• Job fairs in the various municipalities (use google to find out more about the current options)

Besides the big interdisciplinary fairs, there are also smaller study- or institute specific events about project collaborations, student jobs, internships, and employer branding. Here, the advice above are just as relevant as for the bigger fairs. A positive difference is, however, that the companies and organisations represented most likely are better informed about the competencies of the students they meet on such a day.