Have you gone to a Recruitment Fair?

I went to NYU's Recruitment Fair a while ago but too lazy to post until now. It was good practice for next year when I have to look for a job after graduation.

Top things I took away:
- Dress up. I think its always better to leave a lasting impression of looking good rather than looking like an amateur. Button down for men. Blouse for women. Slacks for both. Suit jacket, not necessary. 
- Come with a resume. Why wouldn't you, its a recruitment fair.
- Ask questions. Like all the sites & interview books say, its as much as an opportunity to interview them as it is for them to interview you. Also, its just a recruitment fair and the likelihood of them remembering you if you asked a "bad question" is slim. It will be good practice for when you have to ask questions for the actual interview.
- A lot of companies recruit from North Carolina, Virginia... down south because there are no PT schools down there. This is just an odd fact that I found interesting.


My favorite questions to ask:
1. What is the ratio of new grads (0-5 years out of PT school) versus older PTs (5+ years)?
    - You get a sense of the staff demographics -a seasoned support staff or all new like you.
2. What do you like about working at your institution?
    - You can tell if someone likes their job or company or not. Sometimes, they will give you dirt of what
       he/she hated in their last jobs. PTs are so honest. 
3. What are the biggest challenges for new grads? How does your institution help with the transition?
    - You can get a sense of the types of challenges that you may/may not have in this setting. 
4. Are you a PT? How long have you been at this company?
    - I always like it when companies send PTs to the fairs. Then you can actually ask questions   
      about the workday rather than get an automated response from an HR person that knows second hand
      about the institution that you are looking into.
5. Do you have any special programs geared toward new grads?
    - Some institutions - Visiting Nurse Service, Fox Rehabilitation offer a mentoring program & scholarship
      opportunities to new grads. I think its a selling point and would be more attracted to a place that offered
      it. Also find out how long it has been running and if there is a time commitment in order to be in the
      program.

I asked A LOT of questions to see what stuck. If someone finds your questions annoying, well.... they should not be representing their company at a career fair. I definitely made note of those places.

Picture from California State University.