5 Tips for Success at Nursing Career Fairs

The nursing career fair season is right around the corner. These events are a great opportunity for nurses looking for a place to work and grow their professional network. We’ve compiled a list of five tips to help you feel confident and maybe land your dream job at the next career fair you attend.

1. Arrive Prepared

You want to walk into a career fair putting your best foot forward. Make sure you bring more than enough copies of a professionally updated resume to give to the recruiters you meet with. If you don’t get an interview on the spot your resume may be reviewed later. Bring a notepad and pen to take notes on the different employers you meet with. Lastly, don’t forget your phone! While a phone may seem like the most obvious item to bring a lot of times they get left behind in cars or at home. Contact information with recruiters is often exchanged digitally these days and your phone is the best way to capture that.

2. Dress to Impress

Make sure your first impression is a good one. Professional attire is a must unless you are attending an event where a more casual dress code (like scrubs) is specified. Don’t forget to also dress comfortably (consider comfortable shoes) as you will do a lot of walking and standing.

3. Do Your Research

Attending career fairs is a great way to learn about new companies, but you should do some research on the companies attending beforehand. This will help you get a good idea of which employers you may be most interested in learning more about and prioritize whose booth you stop at while at the fair.

4. Network!

Career fairs are about more than handing out resumes and taking home informational brochures about the attending companies. They are an opportunity to build a good foundation with other medical professionals and colleagues who represent different health organizations. Take the time to chat not only with recruiters but other attendees too. A career network is crucial to your success and potential job leads.

5. Follow Up

Remember that recruiters are meeting with countless attendees throughout the day and aside from your resume, they may need a little more to remember you by. Get the contact information of the recruiters who represent the companies you are most interested in working for. Follow up on your conversations after the career fair and express your interest in joining their organization. This important step will help keep you top of mind when recruiters are considering candidates.

To learn more about current nursing opportunities at Baton Rouge General visit brgeneral.org/nursingcareers