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5) Campus Leverage

Career fairs (how to work them correctly)

Going to a US university gives you access to a powerful network, but the magic doesn't happen just by sitting in class. You have to actively squeeze the value out of your campus. Think of your school as a giant toolbox if you don't pick up the tools, you're just paying for the box.

Many students think a career fair is just a place to hand out paper resumes. That is a mistake. In the US, the goal of a career fair is to get a referral or an interview invite on the spot.

Never go to your favorite company first. Go to three practice companies to warm up your pitch. When you finally talk to your dream company, don't ask "What do you do?" Instead, say: "I’ve been following your recent project on [X], and I built a project that solves a similar problem. Who is the best person to talk to about internships?"
Within 24 hours, message the recruiter on LinkedIn. Mention something specific you talked about. This moves you from "random student" to "serious candidate."

Resources

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