Navigating Career Fairs

I attended the National Black MBA Association’s career fairs twice—once in Philadelphia (2023) and again in Washington, DC (2024) as part of my MBA journey. These events are packed with job seekers, making it hard to stand out. The sheer volume of candidates often means recruiters appear overwhelmed and, honestly, less invested in meaningful conversations.

My strategy was to go in with a targeted list of companies I genuinely wanted to speak with which helped but my pitch wasn’t as polished as it needed to be. That 30-second intro really matters when time and attention are limited.

If I were to do it again, I’d narrow my list even further and try to connect with key contacts before the fair. That way, it’s not a cold interaction at the booth,it's a follow-up.

My advice: treat career fairs less like networking events and more like checkpoints in an ongoing relationship-building process. A good first impression is rarely made in a crowd it’s made in advance.