Recruitment Fair Tips
Virtual Events:
Be sure to build your schedule.
Build schedule no later than 2 weeks in advance for best opportunity for student signups. All recruiters attending the event will need to claim schedules.
- You must have your schedule set in Handshake in order for students to meet with you.
- Please also make sure all of your recruiters have claimed their schedule.
Test your equipment.
Especially your video and please make sure you are using Chrome or Firefox as your internet browser.
Refresh as you geaux.
Students may add sessions throughout the day, including the 1:1 sessions. You will not receive a notification about these, so please refresh after each session to be sure you are up to date on your most current schedule.
Clearing Qualifications.
You can now clear out qualifications before or during the fair. You can do so by going to manage Sessions > Clear 1:1 Qualifications. We encourage you to be as broad as possible in your qualifications so you can see as many students as possible.
RSVP Tab.
In this tab you can see all of the students who signed up for all sessions (including group sessions.) You can also mass message students and download public resumes of students who registered for your sessions.
On the event day.
On the day-of, log in to the event promptly to allow time to get settled prior to student arrival. Class hours for students vary so many students may not “arrive” until later in the day. Employers should stay for the duration of the event.
Additional preparation best practices can be found here.
If you have any technical issues during the event, please visit the top of your Handshake account and click Help > Contact Support.
In-Person Events:
Know your audience.
Today’s students and alumni are very busy, technically savvy, prefer realistic concrete information, and may be more sensitive to diversity issues than other students. If you haven’t completed a new-hire focus group or talked to an LSU Olinde Career Center professional lately, now is the time. Knowing student demographics and population characteristics is important.
Send your alumni back to campus.
LSU alumni are proud of their institution and love to return to their alma mater. Alumni who are outstanding communicators are great at getting students interested in your organization.
Let your campus team represent the diversity in your organization.
Homogeneity in a recruiting team may cause suspicion or wariness among students of various ethnic backgrounds. LSU boasts a 23.5 percent minority student population. Make sure your team sends the right message.
Staff your booth to accommodate peaks & valleys of traffic.
Design an overlapping shift schedule so there is always adequate staffing at your booth.
Integrate high tech & high touch.
Multimedia displays and impressive technology will attract students to your booth; however, remember to complement the display with knowledgeable team members! Check with us regarding your technology needs.
Giveaways attract job prospects.
Name recognition and recall goes a long way. Identify a giveaway that will arouse interest and link to your recruiting message. Always have enough to make it through the day.
Be very careful about shipping materials & have a back-up plan.
We provide instructions about shipping in your confirmation materials, but always encourage you to have a back-up plan in case your materials don’t arrive. Recruiting veterans recommend carrying 50 or so copies of materials with you, just in case.
Pursue several goals while at Career Expo.
Make your time in Baton Rouge as productive as possible. In addition to attending the Career Day/One-Day Program, schedule opportunities to meet with key people on campus. Faculty members, LSU Olinde Career Center personnel, and relevant student organizations may all be valuable resources in your recruiting efforts.
Follow up!
Once you have attracted a quality group of prospective employees, don’t miss the opportunity to keep them interested. Determine a follow-up strategy prior to the recruitment event.