While the fall Career and Internship Fair may still be weeks away, preparing for the event now may benefit you in the long run.

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On September 19th, the Junker Center will be taken over by company representatives and Behrend students in search of a career path. But among all of these hopeful candidates, what will make you stand out the most? Perhaps your answer is to prepare far in advance.

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According to the University of California, Berkeley, one of the most important things that you should prepare for a career fair is your resume. Company representatives will likely see hundreds, if not thousands, of candidates in this one day. Unless you have an amazing connection with these people in the few short minutes that you get with them, what might make you most memorable and appreciated once they head back to the office is a well-prepared resume. If you need assistance or review while putting your resume together, the Academic and Career Planning Center on campus is here to help. Drop-in hours or appointment scheduling can be found in their office on the second floor of the Reed Union Building.

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Drafting your resume to suit the criteria for a specific job you are interested in could go a long way in making an impression. In fact, according to Monster.com, tailoring your resume to a specific job could grab the hiring representative’s attention quicker than a flashy resume that has all of the other cliché information as every other resume they has ever seen. The ACPC’s website has a list of all of the employers that will be at this semester’s career fair. Using this list to your advantage could be in your best interest.

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Your next step is to craft your elevator speech. This 30 second to one-minute pitch should cover the basics of everything that you want this employer to know in order for you to make a quick impression. It also should last no longer than an elevator ride, hence the name. According to CNBC, this pitch is crucial to getting an investor’s attention. So keep it short, find a unique way to tell why you are the best candidate, and practice like your life depends on it. Various elevator speech tips can be found on the Internet.

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It may seem redundant but be sure to dress professionally. It’s better to be overdressed than underdressed when trying to be striking in a crowd. If you have a professional portfolio, it may look better than showing up with your resumes hanging out of an old folder that cost you 20 cents at Walmart when you bought it four years ago.

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All in all, showing up to the Career Fair prepared in some of or all of these ways just might give you the ability to be one step ahead of many other candidates.