When I started my Master's degree at Imperial, there were many career fairs to attend. Although I wanted to be proactive and network, I didn't actually know what sort of questions to ask the representatives as I felt that any questions I had could be answered by exploring the company's website. I felt similarly at the end of interviews when the interviewer asked whether you had any questions. On the other hand, I knew that networking made a real difference and that asking questions was a good way to build rapport with others. At the time many of my friends were equally unsure of what to ask, however after a considerable amount of trial-and-error and research, I'm here to share my go-to questions.
Although interviewers and company representatives are there to answer any questions you may have, it is much better to ask questions that can't be answered by looking on the company website and this will help you to stand out. If you haven't been able to properly research the company then it can be very useful to ask about the career development in the company and what training you can expect, especially if you are applying to graduate schemes where these things are integral.
Nonetheless, I'd recommend asking about different aspects of the company culture, as although their website will tell you fairly generic information, the actual employees will hopefully provide a more accurate and complete description of the day-to-day culture. Some of the people that I met whilst studying in Cape Town worked at companies such as Google, in which the employer encouraged further learning and actually paid (at least partially) for courses that employees wished to take. I love learning about a variety of areas, from coding to international relations to languages, and so this was very important for me. I wanted a job that allowed for personal development, whether that be financially supporting me on these endeavours or simply allowing for free weekends to explore these areas instead of working non-stop.
I also knew that I wanted to live abroad at some point in my twenties, and while it made sense to apply for jobs in London, I always made sure to ask the younger employees about opportunities to work abroad or secondments as this was important to me. I wouldn't recommend asking this in an interview as it can suggest a lack of commitment, but in career fairs or assessment centres it can be good to know.
Another thing that younger employees are more likely to be honest with you about is the hierarchy. I always asked 'if I was on the grad scheme and had ideas to further the company or bring more opportunities, would I be able to discuss them with someone or is the structure fairly rigid?' Some companies have a very fixed structure with an obvious hierarchy so it is hard for less experienced hires to produce change within the company. This may be unimportant to you, but as an example, a colleague of mine worked in a sector that had few relations with the Middle East, but given that she had grown up there and saw the opportunity to bring in more business, she gave a presentation to her seniors on why it should happen and is now very involved with those relations. If this is something that's important to you, it's a great question to ask at career fairs. Similarly, you could ask how quickly the progression is, as certain companies promote employees based on merit whilst others promote simply on how many years of experience they have.
Aside from simply asking employees whether they enjoy working at their company, I always asked interviewers and employees what their most exciting project was and the toughest part of the job. The first question is individual and will give you an idea of the type of work you might get, whilst the latter question won't be answered on their website. You could ask what their personal experience has been and what they most enjoy about their job. Similarly, asking if they are planning on staying at their company long-term and how long most graduates stay will give a clear indication of the company's employee retention and potentially how valued the employees feel.
During career fairs, I'd recommend catering the questions to the specific industry, company, and role instead of asking generic questions, but a generic question is still better than no question. Wear business attire, be open and friendly, and put yourself out there. Make sure to introduce yourself and if you feel a connection, ask for their business card or add them on LinkedIn and thank them for their time and insight. I'd also mention the specific person and career fair in your cover letters when applying later on, as it shows proactivity and interest, helping you to stand out from the hundreds of other cover letters they read.
Good luck!
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