When the Career Management Center surveys the companies that have attended the IIT Career Fair, the company representatives say the same thing: IIT students are exceedingly smart and polite but are not prepared to talk about the company itself or the industry they are in.

This year, set yourself apart by using the Career Fair Pro Tips Guide created by librarians at Paul V. Galvin Library. Use the guide to find company and industry information that will differentiate you from others. Be prepared to talk about threats and opportunities in an industry, or speak knowledgeably about a company’s strategy and future direction. The guide will take you deeper than a Google or Bing search by sharing tips for searching in the library’s subscription databases, which contain information that is not freely available on the Web but available to you as a current student.

Don’t just pass out your resume; use this opportunity to have a meaningful conversation with company representatives. Be memorable to them as the smart, polite student who knew exactly what was happening in their industry!