Sr. Product Manager | I help international students to Study Abroad (USA), land their dream job, and navigate their immigration journey
International students… Career fairs aren’t dead. You just don’t know how to use them. They might look: Too chaotic. Too crowded. Too competitive. But then I interviewed 2 Purdue MEM students who both landed Technical Program Manager co-ops at Tesla—and guess where they got most of their early interview traction? Career fairs. If you play it right, they’re one of the fastest ways to get face-time with recruiters that you’d never reach via job portals. So here’s the tactical playbook MEM students use to land offers from Walmart, Amazon, Tesla, and more—straight out of Purdue’s career fair: 1. Arrive early The doors open at 9 AM? Be there at 8:30. Lines for the big-name companies start 30-40 minutes in advance. Your energy is highest in the morning. So use it to talk to your top-priority companies before burnout kicks in. 2. Target 10–20 companies MAX 400 companies attend. You won’t hit them all. Instead: → Shortlist companies hiring for your role → Filter out ones without relevant job openings → Prioritize based on interest + opportunity + line size Most students hit ~10 booths per day. Don’t spread yourself thin. 3. Research and apply BEFORE you go Career fairs aren’t for “Hi, what roles do you have?” You should already know: → Job IDs → Team focus areas → Which roles are open Apply online beforehand so you can say: “I’ve already applied for [Job ID XYZ], and I’d love to learn more about the team’s current focus.” That signals preparation and recruiters notice. 4. NEVER ask, "What openings do you have?” It’s the fastest way to kill a conversation. The recruiter will smile politely and say, “You can check our careers page.” End of story. Instead, ask questions like: → “What qualities do you look for in [role] candidates?” → “How does your team work with [X function] internally?” → “What’s the typical timeline after this career fair?” Come with specifics, not generic curiosity. 5. Warm-up at smaller booths first Your first conversation will always be awkward. So don’t start with your dream company. Hit a couple of smaller booths to rehearse your elevator pitch, ease the nerves, and build momentum. Then go crush your top targets. 6. Use divide-and-conquer with classmates Purdue MEM students literally created live updates during the career fair. “Walmart is taking interviews!” “This recruiter said they’re not hiring TPMs—skip.” That real-time intelligence helps everyone save time and spot hidden openings. You don’t win career fairs alone. You win them with your community. 7. Don’t schedule anything else You’ll be walking for hours. Standing in long lines. Plan for this in advance. Water. Snacks. Comfortable footwear. Also, block the day out. You need full focus. ... Career fairs are like high-stakes speed dating. You don’t need to impress 100 recruiters. You just need one meaningful conversation with the right one. Show up prepared, play it smart, and the return on investment is massive.