Hiring events, job fairs and speed interviews give you five to fifteen minutes per conversation, in person, with a recruiter who will speak to forty people that day. An AI interview assistant earns its place the evening before, rehearsing a 60-second pitch and three short stories until they are automatic, because at the table you will have nothing but your voice and a résumé. This page covers how the formats work, what recruiters actually ask at a table, the evening-before routine, and the follow-up that converts a conversation into a real interview.
The formats
| Format | Time per conversation | Who you meet | What they decide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job fair or career fair | 3 to 10 minutes | Recruiters and sometimes hiring managers at booths | Whether to invite you to a real interview |
| Open hiring day | 10 to 20 minutes | Store, site or shift managers | Often a same-day offer for hourly roles |
| Speed interview event | 5 to 10 minutes, rotating | Several interviewers in sequence | A shortlist for second interviews |
| Campus or graduate event | 5 to 15 minutes | Recruiters, alumni, early-career managers | Who gets fast-tracked |
The walk-in version of the same situation is covered in AI interview assistants for walk-in interviews.
What recruiters ask at a table
- "Tell me about yourself" or "what are you looking for?", which is your pitch; the structure is in tell me about yourself.
- "What do you know about us?" which rewards two minutes of research on the company list before the event.
- "When could you start, and what is your availability?" especially at open hiring days; the answer is in what is your availability.
- One quick behavioural question: a time you handled a difficult customer, a deadline or a team problem.
- "Do you have any questions?" where one good question is remembered; see questions to ask the interviewer.
The evening before
- Write a 60-second pitch: who you are, what you do well with one proof, what you want.
- Pick three stories under 45 seconds each: a customer, a deadline, a team.
- Run the mock interview with the pitch and stories, aloud, and cut anything that runs long; the scoring will tell you where you ramble.
- Research the five employers you most want to meet; write one sentence and one question for each.
- Print ten résumés, plan your clothes, and decide the order you will visit the tables.
At the event and after
Go to a table you care less about first to warm up. At each table, shake hands, give the pitch, answer what is asked, ask your question, and get a name and an email. Take a note after each conversation, out of sight. That evening, send a short email to every person whose details you got: one line about what you discussed, your résumé attached, one sentence about why you fit. Most candidates never follow up, which is why the ones who do get the interview.
Where CoPilot Interview fits
CoPilot Interview is an AI interview assistant whose free AI mock interview builds questions from your résumé and a job description, reads them aloud, scores each spoken answer out of ten and shows a model answer, and whose browser demo runs 145 real questions with no signup, which together cover the evening-before routine. The free plan gives 15 minutes a day of live help in sessions of up to 15 minutes, with AI mock interviews included. At the event, it is you and your résumé; prepare the night before and follow your employer's rules if a follow-up interview moves to video.
Disclosure: CoPilot Interview is our product, so weigh what we say about it accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
How long are speed interviews at hiring events?
Five to fifteen minutes per conversation, sometimes rotating between several interviewers, with recruiters deciding whom to invite to a real interview.
What do recruiters ask at job fairs?
A short introduction, what you know about them, availability and start date, one quick behavioural question and whether you have questions.
Can I use an AI interview assistant at a hiring event?
Only to prepare. Events are in person; rehearse your pitch and three short stories the evening before.
How do I follow up after a hiring event?
Email every contact the same evening with one line about the conversation, your résumé and one sentence on fit.
Practice this interview before the real one
The AI mock interview builds questions from your resume and the job description, reads them aloud and scores each spoken answer out of 10. Included on the free plan.
Start a mock interview