How to Prepare

Research

1. Prioritize employers you want to target - Check out the attendee list
2. Make a check list of the employers you are interested to talk to and prepare for an informational interview - More about Informational Interviewing
3. Prepare thoughtful and focused questions to show genuine interest in the organization - Few suggestions
4. Check out their social media feeds, mission, vision and values, any upcoming projects that could add value to your conversation at the fair.

Let the Career Centre Help YOU!

Register for our upcoming "Preparing for Career Fair Success" workshops.

Not able to attend? Check out our looking for a job topic.

Video Interviewing

Do you have a job interview coming up? Most likely it will be online via Zoom, Skype, over the phone, or perhaps using other social media platforms. Video job interviews are becoming increasingly popular during recent times, so it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself and be prepared. These resources provide some great tips on how to prepare and conduct successful video interviews:

LinkedIn Learning Courses:

• Phone and video based remote job interviews
• Video Interview Tips

Articles:

• The Best Way to Set Up for a Video Interview
• How to Differentiate Yourself: A Candidate's Guide to Virtual Interviews

What to Prepare

RESUMÉ

Prepare Resumé to highlight specific skills you have to convince the fit. Don't know how? Take advantage of the Career Centre's services.

PROFILE

Business cards with contact information and LinkedIn profile make a great way to end a conversation with an employer. Learn how to build a great LinkedIn Profile

SKILL TOOLS

Presenting your skills and accomplishments in alternate ways, such as a blog, YouTube, or a website.

CAREER PITCH

Get ready with a 30 second Career Pitch about yourself and your skills so that it flows naturally and articulately. Tips to get you started

Examples

"Hi, my name is Sun, I am an international student and recent graduate from Communication Studies program at York. I am passionate about journalism and I have experience working for a University newspaper as an editor for one year. I am currently seeking roles in my field where I can utilize my experience and education. What types of entry-level roles could you recommend for me?"

"Hello, my name is Sandreene, I am currently a 2nd-year student in the Human Resource Management program and I am eager to gain work experience through an internship next year. I am passionate about this field and aspire to be an HR generalist in the future. Can you tell me more about the internship program at your organization?"

"Good Afternoon my name is Jason, I have over 4 years of experience working in the not for profit sector as a Jr Job Developer and I am in the final year of my Sociology program. I am exploring my options after graduation to determine what I would like to do with my degree. What types of skills and experience do you look when hiring new grads?"

"My name is Charles, I am a recent graduate from Environmental Studies. I love working outdoors and have a passion for nature. Ever since I was young I was always committed to preserving the environment and was heavily involved in promoting sustainability on campus. I am excited about the possibility of joining a green company to start my career, I saw online that your organization is working on a new initiative, can you tell me more about that?"

During the Fair

Dress code

The overall presentation can say a lot about who you are and if you would be a good fit for an organization or industry! View interview Attire Handout

Keep in mind that 55% of any interaction is visual, meaning it is not ONLY what you say but how you look when you say it.

Characteristics

Be positive and confident! Sixty percent of an individual interaction involves nonverbal communication. This includes a firm handshake, eye contact, nodding your head, and most importantly - SMILING!

Business Cards

Before you leave an employer representative’s booth at the fair, inform them that you would like to continue the conversation by following up with them at a later date, and ask how they would prefer you to contact them after the fair (E-mail, LinkedIn, etc.), and whether there is anything they would like you to send to them.

Ask for their business cards so that you can promptly send a thank-you note. Having the business card of the representative you have just spoken with allows you to have a direct contact with the organization, including the proper spelling of the representative's name, direct telephone line.

Ask for their business cards

Promptly send a thank-you note. Having the business card of the representative you have just spoken with serves three purposes.

1. you have a direct contact with the organization, including the proper spelling of the representative's name, direct telephone line
2. A brief Thank-you note acknowledges the help they gave you and the time they took to visit campus.

Sending thank-you notes is a good professional habit. Find sample thank-you letters here

Keep Your Favourite last

It may be helpful to visit with your “favourite” employer LAST. Use other employers on your list to practice and become more comfortable in introducing yourself. Just don’t lose track of time!

After the Fair

Thank you Notes

Promptly send a thank-you note. Within 24 hours after the career fair, send a one-page, personalized and separate thank-you note to each and every one of the employer representatives you met.

Sending thank-you notes is a good professional habit. Find sample thank-you letters here

E-mail or LinkedIn messaging are fine but follow formal business letter format; Thank you letters serve a variety of purposes such as:

• To demonstrate that you have good manners and are socially savvy
• To show appreciation for the employer representative’s time, information and interest in you
• To reiterate your interest in a specific opportunity and/or in a specific organization
• To review or remind the employer about your key qualifications or assets that would make you a good fit for a specific position or for their organization

If you forgot to mention something or want to clarify something discussed at the fair, you can briefly do so in your thank you letter.

Apply to Jobs

Personalize your applications for the job opportunities you are applying for based on the conversation you had with employers at their booths.

To establish your Dossier account, please complete a Client Registration Form and submit a $20.00, non-refundable, registration fee. Your completed Client Registration Form and Registration Fee are required prior to using the Dossier Service.

Client Registration Form

You may complete the online Client Registration Form and submit your registration fee separately by mail or courier (your file will not be processed until both the form and payment are received).

Registration Fee

A $20.00, non-refundable, registration fee is required prior to using the Dossier Service. Please mail or courier a cheque for $20.00 (Canadian funds only) made payable to York University to:

Dossier Administrator
Suite 202, McLaughlin College
Career Centre
York University
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, ON, Canada M3J 1P3

Cash Payments can be made by appointment ONLY. Please contact the Dossier Administrator directly.

Letters of Reference

• All letters from your referees need to be requested by you and a signed hardcopy of each letter is required to be sent directly from your referees to the Dossier Administrator.
• The Dossier Service will not accept or send letters of reference or other confidential documents by email.
• You will be notified by email each time a new reference letter is received for your file. When reference letters are updated, the old letter(s) will be destroyed. Please note that it is your responsibility to keep your contact information updated with the Dossier Service, so that you may be contacted with updates regarding your Dossier account.
• All letters of reference sent directly to the Dossier Service are considered confidential documents. You may ask your referee to forward you a copy, but you will not have access to the reference letters in your file. The guarantee of confidentiality upholds the integrity of the Dossier Service and your reference letters in the eyes of search committees.

Transcripts

• Please have all 'official' transcripts sent directly from the Registrar's office of the institution(s) that you have attended to the Dossier Administrator. We will not accept transcripts in any other way.
• You will be notified by email each time a new set of transcripts arrives for your file. It is your responsibility to order a new set of transcripts for your file if there are any significant changes in your status (e.g. once you finish your degree). When transcripts are updated, the old transcripts will be destroyed.
• All transcripts sent directly to the Dossier Service are considered confidential documents; you will not have access to the transcripts in your file. Transcripts that you have access to are not considered 'official' because the integrity of the documents cannot be guaranteed.

• The reference letter must be typed on official University or College letterhead
• Please include the following information in the reference letter
  • Name of candidate
  • Name of referee and signature
  • Referee's academic position
  • Referee's complete address
  • Date
• The Dossier Service only accepts hardcopy documents (e-mailed files are not considered as confidential). Please make sure to sign the sealed envelope across the flap to assure confidentiality.
• Please send the completed reference in hardcopy only to:

Dossier Administrator
Suite 202, McLaughlin College
Career Centre
York University
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, ON, Canada M3J 1P3

• If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Dossier Administrator at 416.736.5351.

• Please send your Dossier requests by email to the Dossier Administrator and include the following information (it is your responsibility to ensure that this information is correct).
  • Name of addressee
  • Organization/ Company
  • Address
  • Position being sought (include job title and posting number if applicable)
  • Exact items to be included (e.g. Letter of Reference from Prof. X; Transcript from University Y)
  • Submission Deadline
  • Method to be used for sending the Dossier
• Please ensure that you have provided sufficient notice for your request to be processed and to meet the application deadline. Your Dossier request will be processed within 4 business days.
• You will be notified by email once your request has been mailed.
• Dossier Packages can be sent in hardcopy or facsimile formats only. We will not send confidential documents by email.

For every Dossier package you request, additional fees will apply to recover the costs of materials and postage. The fee structure is outlined below.

ADMINISTRATION/MAILOUTS (CANADIAN FUNDS ONLY PLEASE)

Canada - $2.50
USA - $3.00
Others - $3.00
Courier (varies with destination) - Cost Recovery

A surcharge of 10 cents per page will be added to dossiers exceeding 20 pages.

• Dossier requests will not be processed until sufficient payment has been received by the Dossier Administrator.
• To avoid delays, many clients choose to keep a limited balance on their account. Any money left on your account will be refundable when you withdraw from the service.
• Cash payments can be made in person by appointment ONLY. Please contact the Dossier Administrator directly to set up an appointment.
• Cheque payments can be sent via mail or courier to the Dossier Service. Please make cheques payable to "York University, Dossier".
• Payments must be made in Canadian funds only.

• To withdraw from the Dossier Service, please print the Dossier Service account withdrawal form [PDF - 38kb] and send a signed hard copy to the Dossier Administrator.
• All confidential information in your file will be destroyed.
• Any funds still on your account greater than $10.00 will be refunded to you. The cheque is produced by the York University Accounts Payable Department and may take a couple of weeks to be processed.
• Please note that it is your responsibility to keep your contact information updated with the Dossier Service.

Dossier Administrator Contact Information

All documents and payments for the Dossier Service must be sent to:

Dossier Administrator
Career Centre
Suite 202 McLaughlin College
York University
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, ON, Canada M3J 1P3

For questions and more information about the Dossier Service you can contact the Dossier Administrator at (416) 736-5351 or by email dossier@yorku.ca.

Dossier Service Commitment

• We are committed to providing you with efficient and professional assistance in your pursuit of research grants, scholarships and academic positions.
• We will ensure your Dossier requests are mailed within 4 business days of receiving the request in writing.
• We will respond to all inquiries within 2 business days and will notify you as soon as any new letters, transcripts or payments are received.