• Day of Fair: Arrive early, give a grounded introductory story, ask about interview signups and meet multiple team reps.
• Interview / Decision Stage: Focus on company culture, conversion rates to full-time roles and building a broad, adaptable skill set.
Every fall, hundreds of students pass up solid internship offers, holding out hope for a single “dream job.” According to seasoned industry recruiters, that’s the biggest mistake a college student can make. In the modern swine industry, passion isn’t something you discover while waiting on the sidelines. Passion is something you build, one opportunity at a time.
Stack Your Experiences Early
Tim Heiller with PIC has been recruiting at career fairs across the country for 35 years. No stranger to the game, Heiller has seen it all and encourages students to take advantage of career fair opportunities to network, learn more about career paths and find valuable internship experiences.
“Most of the students I hire full time have had three internships,” he says. “I often joke that there is no such thing as a bad freshman summer internship. You’re going to learn so much working for someone.”
The best thing students can do is apply and interview.
“Be careful of the dream job or dream internship trap,” Heiller says. “I’ve watched students over the years wait for their perfect dream job to open up and pass on really good jobs along the way. That’s a horrible mistake.”
People create their life’s passion – and that’s not by waiting and earning a dream job, he says. It’s by having a great college career and getting a good job and pouring all your passion into that job.
“That leads to this, and this leads to that,” Heiller says. “All of a sudden you wake up and you are 35, doing something dramatically different than you ever dreamt of when you were 21. I think that all starts with interviewing, not sitting on the sidelines waiting.”
Culture, Fit and Knowing What You Don’t Want
Lexi Ammann with The Maschhoffs agrees and adds knowing what you don’t love to do is often one of the most important things you can take away from internships.
“The swine industry offers a wide variety of career paths, not only in production but also in many support-service areas,” Ammann says. “Learning which areas of the industry are not the right fit for you can be just as valuable as discovering the ones that are.”
In addition to being more aware of what you want to do, internships also show you the importance of knowing who you want to work with someday, says Jean Drasgow, director of career development at the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.
“Organizations all have different norms and cultures so finding out what feels right for you is very important,” Drasgow says. “Finding the people you vibe with can make a tough job so much more palatable.”
Some of the best life lessons can be learned during an internship experience.
“Be adaptable to change,” Ammann says. “It is a noble profession to work in the livestock industry, but you have to be prepared for the unknown when dealing with a live product such as swine. The only constant is change!”
She believes career fairs are a great way to ask questions and build your professional network.
“The swine industry is a small industry, but the opportunities are vast,” Ammann says. “Connections will continue to be valuable throughout your career.”
5 Tactical Career Fair Pro-Tips from Swine Recruiters
As career fairs kick off at campuses across the country, industry experts share tips and advice to help the next generation make the most of their career fair experience.
Do your homework beyond the homepage.
Standing out begins long before stepping into the career fair. Start by researching the mission and roles at the companies you are interested in. Ammann says this shows genuine interest and preparation.
“Don’t just browse a homepage,” Heiller says. “If you know someone who had an internship there before or if you know someone working at this company now, give them a call and talk to them about their experience with the company.
Tailor your resume and leave white space for recruiter notes.
Drasgow advises students to have their resume reviewed before they go to the career fair to make sure they are presenting themselves in the best light. Outstanding resumes are consistent, which makes them easier to read. Include quantitative data when possible to show impact or scale.
“Concentrate on the knowledge, skills and abilities that you have, and make sure you represent them in your resume,” Drasgow says.
She also advises leaving some white space on your resume, so recruiters have space to take notes. Avoid heavily stylized templates with rating bars or multi-column graphics, which confuse Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) when students submit resumes online after the fair.
During the career fair, bring printed copies to help build meaningful connections with recruiters. Learn more about resume do’s and don’ts here.
Prepare smart questions instead of rehearsed pitches.
Instead of over-rehearsing a rigid script of what to say, prepare smart questions to ask recruiters about their own paths and specific role expectations.
“It you want to stand out, start forming questions that demonstrate that you’ve done your homework,” Drasgow says.
For example, you see that PIC has several production technician roles available. Drasgow suggests asking a question like this: ‘I see that you have a production technician role available, could you walk me through a typical day of a production technician?’ Let the recruiter answer, then connect your experience with the role by saying something like this: ‘That sounds great. Having worked at the swine research center at UIUC handling swine, I feel confident that I can handle those tasks.’
Then slide into a second question, she advises. ‘Since there are several product technician roles open, would it look bad if I apply for all of them or do I only need to apply to one?’
“Let the recruiter answer again,” Drasgow says. “If the line behind you is long, consider thanking them for the time and suggesting talking to them in the future. If there is no line, ask if you can show them a copy of your resume and find out if there is anything they would recommend adjusting before you apply to more roles.”
Make a memorable, authentic impression.
Authenticity, curiosity and tactical timing beat slick sales pitches every time. Don’t oversell with forced charisma and pizazz – be real.
“Students hate to hear it, but if you want to stand out, nail your elevator speech,” Heiller says. “Share a simple good introduction that tells me about who you are and the key points you want to make. You get to write the ‘Ten Commandments’ of what we’re going to talk about next.”
Ammann wants to hear students discuss strengths, experience they hope to gain and why they would be a good candidate for an internship or job. She says candidates who are eager to learn, ask thoughtful questions and share examples of leadership or problem-solving experiences often stand out.
For Kaitlin Hochgraber with Carthage System and Professional Swine Management, hands-on farm experience is a definite plus. Be specific about animal handling experience and facility types you’ve worked in.
“Whether your career interests lie in veterinary medicine, animal science, agribusiness or management, practical experience on a commercial swine farm can provide valuable skills and set you apart from other applicants,” Hochgraber says. “Other relevant agricultural experiences, such as livestock involvement, family farming, or animal exhibition programs, can also help demonstrate a strong interest in the field.”|
Strategize your timing and engage multiple reps.
Arrive 10 minutes early, Heiller advises. Try to catch recruiters before the crowd rushes in and when the recruiters are fresh and sharp.
Also, if a company has more than one rep, he suggests meeting with one early in the career fair and then making time to meet with the other(s) later in the fair.
“When they do their team huddle at the end of the day and one of them says, ‘Oh, I really like this Ava. I want to interview her. Then, the other two say, ‘Oh, I remember her. Yeah, she was really good.’ Boom! That is huge versus having one person trying to sell Ava to two people who didn’t meet her.”
Use your connections to form a bond with recruiters, he adds. A call or note from a respected professor carries immense weight before you even step up to the table.
Launching a successful swine career isn’t about landing one mythical “dream job” straight out of the gate—it is about stacking real-world experiences and building genuine relationships. When you walk onto the career fair floor, ditch the rehearsed scripts and fear of the unknown, these experts advise. Introduce yourself with confidence, ask insightful questions and take that next step to build your future one experience at a time.
