Career fair follow-up emails. Why do you need it, and how to nail it (samples included)

A candidate’s search for a future job is not always limited to scrolling through LinkedIn or Indeed. Sometimes, live communication is beneficial for networking. Career fairs provide good opportunities for job seekers to get their dream jobs.

However, the entire search process goes down not only to live communications, but also to follow-up newsletters after the event. That will be our main topic today. What is a career fair? Why do you need follow-up emails after this event? How to make a lasting impression on employers with their help? We will also give you the necessary inspiration with the help of email samples.

What is a career fair?

First, let’s figure out what a career fair is. A career fair is a recruitment event where employers and recruiters meet potential employees and where job seekers learn more about job openings. They are usually held in large halls where potential employers set up booths with members of the HR team who are there to explain to job seekers all about the current openings, the application process, and everything else that concerns the organization.

In general, any job fair has the following benefits:

• it's a great place to conduct informational research, as companies at job fairs provide a wealth of information and experience in various sectors;
• career fairs provide a good opportunity for networking, both for job seekers and businesses;
• allow job seekers to hop into the recruitment process via a personal connection with the hiring manager.

Now, let's imagine that you are looking for a job at a career fair. You've met interesting people, spoken with many recruiters, and received a few invites to further interviews. The career fair has ended, and it's about time to write some follow-up emails.

Why are career fair follow-up emails important?

The key reason why it is important to write follow-ups is to stand out from the crowd. Career fairs provide employers and recruiters with the opportunity to meet with dozens of potential employees in a short period of time. And while some candidates focus solely on their resume or LinkedIn SSI score to stand out, nothing replaces a thoughtful, personalized follow-up email.In such a networking stream, it is very easy to get lost among the other candidates.

One effective way to stand out is to send a follow-up email after the fair. The main purpose of such an email is to thank the recruiters for their time and the interesting conversation, to reassure them of your interest in their company, and to open the line of communication. This follow-up email in the recruiter’s inbox shows that you are committed to the position and that you are genuinely interested in learning more about the job. In addition, a follow-up email holds your contact information for further communication between you and the company you want to work for.

How to write a career fair follow-up email with no mistakes?

It's about time to walk through the important things about creating career fair follow-up emails.

Create a compelling subject line

The first thing to consider is the subject line, as it draws attention to your email. Given the specifics of the email itself, in this case, the subject line should have a reminder bias. Indicate that you have already crossed paths with the recipient and which career fair you have attended. This is important because the recruiter receives many follow-up emails on other topics, in addition to your email. The main purpose here is not to get lost among those other emails. You can include your first and last names in the subject line to increase the chance of ringing the bell.

Here are a few examples of how your subject line can look:

• Thank you for your time at [Career fair name].
• Enjoyed meeting you at [Career fair name].
• Excited about the opportunities at [Name of the company].
• Let’s continue our conversation from [Career fair name].
• Still thinking about our chat at [Career fair name].

You might also like

Craft exceptional job application email subject lines with these tips (examples included)

Reintroduce yourself

Now let's move on to the email body. You should reintroduce yourself to the recruiter. Not only does this serve as a common greeting in a personal email, but it will also help the recruiter remember you.

During a typical career fair, recruiters may meet more than 100 people in just a few hours. They are unlikely to remember your name, so you will need to reintroduce yourself and summarize any information you discussed in person. This includes your current position, education, and career goals. If you and the recruiter talked about anything unique or personal, be sure to mention it to personalize your email even more.

Express your gratitude

Afterward, it’s a great gesture to show your appreciation to the email recipient. Thank them for taking the time to speak with you in person and to share information about their company. Let them know that you understand that they’ve done you a favor by answering your questions or offering advice, and that you value that as a candidate.

You might also like

The power of gratitude: How appreciation email can transform your marketing

Show your interest

After you’ve properly thanked the recipient, you can reiterate your interest in working for the company. This can be as simple as a sentence or two that states why you’re interested in the company, how you think you’d contribute to the team, and how the position will help you achieve your career goals. Your thank-you note should be more focused on the recipient than on yourself, but reiterating your interest in the open position is a polite way to let the recruiter know that you’re interested in an interview.

Provide a closing signature with contact information

The final part of the email is a sign-off with another thank you to the recipient for reading your note. Afterward, you can say goodbye, leaving all the necessary contact information in the email signature. Even if you have already given the recruiter your information during a personal conversation at a career fair, leaving it again in an email will never be superfluous.

Tips for creating a perfect career fair follow-up email

The above are the main pillars of a good career fair follow-up email. However, there's always room for improvement, and these tips will help you make your email even better.

Connect quickly

The above tips won't do any good if you send your email late. Try to send your job fair response emails within 24 hours of the event. Recruiters and company representatives are busy reviewing emails after the event and are often inundated with other candidates' offers. This is a long and tedious process.

Sending your email in the first few hours allows you to be among the first batch of emails in the recruiter's inbox, giving you a better chance of staying in the spotlight when the recruiter starts contacting candidates, especially compared to those who decide to contact much later.

Keep it short and sweet

You’ve already communicated with the recruiter in person, and your email is a reminder of that, so don’t make your email into a novel. A short introduction, a thank-you, “Let’s stay in touch,” and your contact information will suffice. That’s it! Plain and simple.

This will not only make the email easier to craft but also show the recruiter that you value their time. After a fair interview, they have dozens, if not hundreds, of emails to review, and they don’t always have the time to read long emails.

Use a courteous and professional tone

While a follow-up email is meant to be a quick thank-you and to express a desire to stay in touch with the hiring manager, it’s not an opportunity to be casual. Pay attention to the tone of your email to avoid coming across as flippant, indifferent, or unprepared for a professional work environment. For example, don’t start your email with a casual greeting like “Hey” — always choose a proper introduction, such as “Hi” or “Hello,” to set a polite, professional tone.

It’s also a good idea to add formality to how you address the recruiter — think “Mr. or Ms. [recruiter’s surname]” rather than addressing the recruiter by their first name, unless you’re sure that the company is very casual. Yes, you’ve already had face-to-face interactions at the fair, but let’s stay professional.

Career fair email samples

Finally, we've created a few follow-up email templates that you can use for inspiration or customize to suit your needs.

Follow-up email sample 1

Subject line: Thank you for connecting at the [Event name]

Dear Mr./Ms. [Recruiter's name],

My name is [Your name]. It was a pleasure meeting you at the [Event name]. I truly enjoyed learning more about [Company name] and the exciting opportunities within your team.

I would like to sincerely thank you for taking the time to speak with me. The conversation about the [internship position] and your company's vision really resonated with me, and I am even more enthusiastic about the possibility of contributing to your team.

I would love to stay in touch and explore how I can contribute to [Company Name]. Please let me know if there are any additional steps I should take or if you need further information from me.

Thank you again, and I hope to hear from you soon!

Best regards,

[Your full name]

[Your phone number]

[Your LinkedIn profile (optional)]

[Your email address]

Follow-up email sample 2

Subject line: Excited about the potential career with [Company name]!

Dear Mr./Ms. [Recruiter's name],

It was a pleasure speaking with you at the [Event name] and learning more about the exciting opportunities at [Company name]. Our conversation further reinforced my enthusiasm about the potential career paths within your team.

Thank you again for taking the time to share insights about your company. I believe my experience and skills align well with what you’re looking for, and I am confident that I could be the right person to contribute to your team. I have attached my resume for your reference and would be grateful for any next steps you may suggest.

I look forward to hearing from you and discussing how I can add value to your organization. Please feel free to reach out if you need any additional information.

Thank you once again for your time and consideration!

Best regards,

[Your full name]

[Your phone number]

[Your LinkedIn profile (optional)]

[Your email address]

Follow-up email sample 3

Subject line: It was a productive conversation at [Event name]!

Dear [Recruiter's name],

It was a pleasure meeting you at the [Event name]. I truly appreciated the opportunity to learn more about [Company name], its story, what it strives for, and the exciting roles within your team.

Thank you for discussing the [Position name] with me and how my background might be a great fit for your needs. I am confident that my skills and experience would make me an excellent candidate for a role under your leadership as [Position name].

I would love to stay in touch and explore how to contribute to your team at [Company name]. Please feel free to reach out with a message or call if you would like any additional information or if there are any further steps in the hiring process.

Thank you again for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you!

Best regards,
[Your full name]

[Your phone number]

[Your LinkedIn profile (optional)]

[Your email address]

Wrapping up

A great follow-up email not only highlights your interest in the company and demonstrates good business etiquette, but it also ensures you stick in the recruiter's mind. These emails help to make a long-lasting impression, as well as stay in contact with companies you are interested in. 

If you stay professional, send the email at the right time, and keep a perfect email structure, creating a career fair follow-up email is an easy task that won’t take much time but has immeasurable value for getting you the job you want.