1. Send a thank you note to the recruiter's email address.
Follow-up promptly after the career fair, to thank the employers for their time and to remind them of your application.
Craft a professional and intentional message. College recruiters can be at multiple career fairs at multiple campuses each month – help them place where they met you. Remind them of the fair at which you interacted with them, mention specific topics from your conversation, and reiterate your interest in specific positions and opportunities. And thank them for their time and consideration of your application. Don't forget to attach your résumé (you know, for their convenience!).
NOTE: After attending a virtual fair on Handshake, you can send a message directly from Handshake to the employers that you participated in one-on-one or groups sessions with.
It's been a week and I didn't receive a response, now what?
Don't worry, these folks are busy! Checking in 10-14 days with a follow-up message is an appropriate interval. The goal is to be enthusiastic – but not irritating.
2. Connect with all Recruiters that you met on LinkedIn
Before doing so, make sure your LinkedIn profile a) exists and b) is up to date. Then use your LinkedIn account to follow companies of interest, connect with recruiters you spoke with, and get a sense of companies' culture and opportunities.
3. Be Proactive
What else can I do?
While career fairs are a great place to make a connection, they're often just one piece of a successful job or internship search strategy. Looking for next steps after the fair? Use the myriad of other resources available to you to assist in making great connections with employers such as Handshake @ Illinois, upcoming company events and BCS workshops. Most importantly, work your network. Reach out to alumni in your targeted companies, conduct informational interviews and connect!