After the career fair: what students should do in the next 48 hours
Within 48 hours, students should send each recruiter a short email that names the conversation, the role discussed and one detail from it, then apply to that specific posting through the employer's own careers page. They should log every lead with the contact's name, the role and the date, and set a reminder to follow up again after about a week if nothing comes back.
The first evening: write it down
The evening of the fair, students should write down every conversation while they remember it: the recruiter's name and email, the role discussed, anything the recruiter suggested, and what to send. A stack of business cards with no notes is hard to act on two days later.
Within 48 hours: the follow-up email
Keep it short, specific and about the role. A template students can adapt:
- Subject: Following up from [fair name]: [role title]
- Hello [name], thank you for talking with me about the [role] position at [fair name] on [day]. You mentioned [one detail], which is close to my work on [project or job].
- I have applied through your careers page, and my resume is attached. I would welcome the chance to talk further about the role.
- Thank you, [your name], [program and year], [phone or profile link]
Apply to the role the recruiter named
A follow-up without an application is a thank-you note. Students should apply to the specific posting discussed, through the employer's own careers page, with a resume tailored to it. If the recruiter named no role, find the closest open one and say which one in the email.
Before sending, check the resume against that posting: the keyword check on carir.ai gives a keyword score and the posting's most important terms the resume misses, with no account.
Track every lead
Each recruiter conversation is a lead with a next step and a date. Carir's tracker, on the free plan, holds each role by stage, from saved to applied to interviewing, so a fair's leads don't scatter across inboxes and notes apps.
If nothing comes back
- After about a week, send one polite follow-up that adds something new, such as a finished project or a question about the timeline.
- Meanwhile, find a second person: the team's hiring manager is often easier to reach than a busy campus recruiter. See who to contact about a job.
- After two follow-ups, move on, and keep the lead in the tracker in case the role reopens.
Questions people ask
How soon should you follow up after a career fair?
Within 48 hours, while the recruiter still remembers the conversation. Send a short email that names the role discussed and one detail from the conversation.
What should a career fair follow-up email say?
Thank the recruiter, name the role and one specific detail from your conversation, say you have applied through the careers page, and attach your resume. Keep it to a few sentences.
Should you apply online after meeting a recruiter at a career fair?
Yes. Most employers need an application in their hiring system to move forward, so apply to the posting the recruiter named, through the employer's own careers page.
What if a recruiter doesn't reply?
Wait about a week, then send one follow-up that adds something new. Meanwhile, contact the team's hiring manager if a public page names them.
Try it on your own search
Carir finds the roles employers posted today, scores each one against your resume with the lines that earned it, and tailors without inventing experience. The free plan includes the job board and the tracker.