How do I best prepare for my school's career fair?

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my school's career fair is on nov 16th and i am trying to be as best prepared as possible. i've been working at cvs for a little over 3 years and have no intention of residency or post graduate training. on the day of the fair there will be an optional interview portion for 6th year students. i believe this is an excellent opportunity for me to try to lock down some type of full time position right then and there

i've looked at the current list of employers that will be attending the fair. if i disregard the employers that are not promoting pharmacy positions, pushing fellowship/residency, or are too far away, i'm left with 6 solid employers. it is a mix of retail, a pbm company, the VA, and johnson&johnson

my question is how should i best prepare for this fair? should i do some research on these employers beforehand and try to speak to them about how i can specifically benefit their company? is it enough for me to print out several copies of my resume or should i make some business cards? should i wear a blazer or would a shirt and tie be good? i believe i am fairly good at interacting with people. i think that with proper research on each company i can deliver a solid interview/case for myself as to why i would be a good potential hire. are there any other details that i should be aware of?

thanks

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(Nonsarcastic answer)
Commonsense
1. Get your CV, Resume, and Professional CV (if you keep your pharmacy one different from your general which you need to for civil service) in order, proofread, and multiple copies. You will hand one of those to your interviews almost certainly, and business cards to those you don't interview with. Do not use the school's cards, pay the $20 for your own.

2. If there are scheduled interviews, I tend to recommend people do as many as they can, however, schedule the most serious ones after the first and not toward the end (so, if 10 interviews, interviews 2/3-5).

3. Of course do your homework beforehand and dress appropriately. For pharmacist interviews, that usually means business formal with the tie dimple and conservative coloration and presentation (suit should be black, navy, or grey, belt should have a standard buckle, shoes are shined). Two to three weeks beforehand, make sure the suit properly fits, and have it altered if not. As for the company research, do at least the minimum and figure out their geographic territory and their usual aims (e.g. so don't go into the VA interview saying that I'm interested in pediatrics).

Not so commonsense

1. You know your own company well enough. Figure out whether CVS actually interviews in this period or it's just meet and greet. I wouldn't necessarily schedule them as the highest priority.

2. Prepare a 20-30 second speech on who you are, what you want, and what do you want out of your career (aka "elevator talk" or "career pitch"). You need to be able to give a rehearsed version. Make sure to throw in something that would get a RxS to remember you.

3. Pick one business that you have ABSOLUTELY no association with whatsoever and make that your first interview if possible to practice. There's two motives: a. To get off the practice jitters (think of it as a scrimmage) b. To do a reach for a job you might not have known the details beforehand.

4. Try NOT to compare notes with your classmates during the fair, and this is not the time to casually say things. Keep up appearances by using a business mien smile and make it a point to be considerate of posture and hands even outside the interviews.

5. 19 interview questions that are designed to trick you

Prepare for the stock "trick" questions, but if you get stumped on one, make it a point to think about it before answering. Pharmacy is a considerate occupation, so impulsive answers (and posturing and diction like a stream of consciousness impulse) are not usually desired.

If interviewing for VA or other civil service (in addition):
1. Use the USAJobs template to write a Professional CV (this is different than the usual CV). I recommend a properly filled out SF-171 for anywhere but the VA and a VHA 10-2850C for the VA. If you bring in those forms to a federal interview, the application is looked at more favorably as at least we don't have to teach this one that there is a bureaucracy and it has special rules. If you have prior employment with the civil service or military, have a physical copy of your actionable SF-50 or DD-214 (doesn't have to be the official, just a printout will do) on hand during the meet and greet.

2. If you are going to go for uniformed, you should do some preparation beforehand on branch and making sure you're in the correct shape to be considered.
 
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(Nonsarcastic answer)
Commonsense
1. Get your CV, Resume, and Professional CV (if you keep your pharmacy one different from your general which you need to for civil service) in order, proofread, and multiple copies. You will hand one of those to your interviews almost certainly, and business cards to those you don't interview with. Do not use the school's cards, pay the $20 for your own.

2. If there are scheduled interviews, I tend to recommend people do as many as they can, however, schedule the most serious ones after the first and not toward the end (so, if 10 interviews, interviews 2/3-5).

3. Of course do your homework beforehand and dress appropriately. For pharmacist interviews, that usually means business formal with the tie dimple and conservative coloration and presentation (suit should be black, navy, or grey, belt should have a standard buckle, shoes are shined). Two to three weeks beforehand, make sure the suit properly fits, and have it altered if not. As for the company research, do at least the minimum and figure out their geographic territory and their usual aims (e.g. so don't go into the VA interview saying that I'm interested in pediatrics).

Not so commonsense

1. You know your own company well enough. Figure out whether CVS actually interviews in this period or it's just meet and greet. I wouldn't necessarily schedule them as the highest priority.

2. Prepare a 20-30 second speech on who you are, what you want, and what do you want out of your career (aka "elevator talk" or "career pitch"). You need to be able to give a rehearsed version. Make sure to throw in something that would get a RxS to remember you.

3. Pick one business that you have ABSOLUTELY no association with whatsoever and make that your first interview if possible to practice. There's two motives: a. To get off the practice jitters (think of it as a scrimmage) b. To do a reach for a job you might not have known the details beforehand.

4. Try NOT to compare notes with your classmates during the fair, and this is not the time to casually say things. Keep up appearances by using a business mien smile and make it a point to be considerate of posture and hands even outside the interviews.

5. 19 interview questions that are designed to trick you

Prepare for the stock "trick" questions, but if you get stumped on one, make it a point to think about it before answering. Pharmacy is a considerate occupation, so impulsive answers (and posturing and diction like a stream of consciousness impulse) are not usually desired.

If interviewing for VA or other civil service (in addition):
1. Use the USAJobs template to write a Professional CV (this is different than the usual CV). I recommend a properly filled out SF-171 for anywhere but the VA and a VHA 10-2850C for the VA. If you bring in those forms to a federal interview, the application is looked at more favorably as at least we don't have to teach this one that there is a bureaucracy and it has special rules. If you have prior employment with the civil service or military, have a physical copy of your actionable SF-50 or DD-214 (doesn't have to be the official, just a printout will do) on hand during the meet and greet.

2. If you are going to go for uniformed, you should do some preparation beforehand on branch and making sure you're in the correct shape to be considered.

hey thanks for this informed reply. a few things: for the business cards i've looked into designing one online and purchasing, most cards ask for company and job title. what should i put for these areas? i think the cards will be good to hand out with the resume because it is quick reference with my contact info. also for the CV, i actually don't have a long list of certificates and credentials. my CV would look similar to my resume to be honest. would i be looked down upon if i only arrived with copies of my resume?

in terms of the attire, the blazer is required? i actually don't have a blazer, i'm not sure if i would seem over dressed if i wore one. would i be taken less seriously if i came in with a shirt, tie, and pants?

i will try to do as many interviews as possible with a focus on the ones of my interest. it seems the general premise is to show up well presented and interview with the employers to let them know how exactly you will benefit them
 
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hey thanks for this informed reply. a few things: for the business cards i've looked into designing one online and purchasing, most cards ask for company and job title. what should i put for these areas? i think the cards will be good to hand out with the resume because it is quick reference with my contact info. also for the CV, i actually don't have a long list of certificates and credentials. my CV would look similar to my resume to be honest. would i be looked down upon if i only arrived with copies of my resume?

in terms of the attire, the blazer is required? i actually don't have a blazer, i'm not sure if i would seem over dressed if i wore one. would i be taken less seriously if i came in with a shirt, tie, and pants?

i will try to do as many interviews as possible with a focus on the ones of my interest. it seems the general premise is to show up well presented and interview with the employers to let them know how exactly you will benefit them

That's cool on the CV, a long student CV is not going to be taken at face value. If you are a student, you should say that and your year (Not CVS Pharmacy Intern!). You want both as some may ask for a CV and some may ask for a resume. Briefcase to keep the folders organized would be helpful.

In most pharmacy places, no. My memory is that CVS has a business casual, but Walgreens before the acquisition required shirts and ties of its line staff and a conservative suit when staff face the board or in public outside the pharmacy in an official function or corporate. In some places (Mayo), you would be underdressed without the jacket or blazer at the interview. Have someone with a fashion sense (When I was a student, I had the luck of having a metrosexual guy as my informal buyer for the price of drinks) take you in and get you properly fitted. It makes things easier.
 
I would also add that it's easier to dress down at the interview site rather than dressing up. So I would over prepare rather than under prepare. Don't forget that an interview is not just you answering questions, it's a time for you to understand the employer and the position as well.
 
I would also add that it's easier to dress down at the interview site rather than dressing up. So I would over prepare rather than under prepare. Don't forget that an interview is not just you answering questions, it's a time for you to understand the employer and the position as well.
That is true. i'm wondering how packed this event will be. i would think that with less people it would be easy for me to stand out. i plan to come well prepared and knowledgeable to the interviews
 
update: there have been some job postings available to me from my school for retail positions at big chain companies. i went ahead and applied to these positions by submitting my resume. my resume is 1 page long and lists a short career summary (generic intro that says i have good communication, multi-tasking, hard worker, etc), my education (pharm school), and my 3 recent employers with bullets for each stating my achievements/work. is this a good enough resume?

also, i have figured out that the interviews will only be for these chain companies for which i have applied. at the fair there will be dozens of employers but i won't be able to interview with them. in these cases how should i best approach the situation? perhaps go through the fair, chat at each employer for a few minutes, then hand them my resume + card? in particular i'll spend more time at employers i'm interested in but i want to be sure to hand out my resume to every employer as well. besides chatting and leaving my resume, what else could i do to gain recognition and be followed up on for an interview?

thanks
 
bump, i rly want a job offer from this fair guys
I attended a similar career fair in the spring. Check to see if the positions are also accepting online applications. You will probably want to apply online as well. I left that career fair without any job offers, but one of the places recently reached out to me and asked me to interview for a position that opened up. Even if you don’t get the job, if you make a good impression, they may save your resume. I hope you leave with a job offer though. :)
 
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