Illustration by Michael Wilson

Resume Hurdles: Handling Rejection at Career Fairs

“We don’t accept resumes. You can apply on our website.”

Don’t be discouraged if you hear this line at the next career fair. More and more, companies are refusing to accept resumes in order to comply with federal regulations or deal with a high volume of applicants. If you’re worried that your time spent chatting up job recruiters will be wasted, fear not: There are several things you can do to ensure that recruiters keep tabs on you once you’ve applied online.

Counter with a Card
Offer your business card instead of a resume. Along with the basic contact info, include a link to a personal website, complete with a downloadable resume, or to your LinkedIn profile, which should be completely filled out. 

Follow Through
As you meet recruiters, ask for a business card, or at least an email address. Then follow up to let them know you’ve completed the online application. As you continue the conversation, send along a copy of your resume “for your reference.”

Just Drop It 
Find out from the recruiter if the company will have a resume drop—a short period of time when students can submit physical resumes, usually through the college career center. Recruiters use these resumes to screen candidates for job interviews or networking events.