At CONTACT2025, you have the opportunity to make initial contacts in a relaxed atmosphere and talk to potential employers. To make a positive impression, it is advisable to invest in effective job fair preparation.
To help you with this, we have put together a small guide for your perfect visit to CONTACT2025 on this page.
BioContact e.V. is also offering two job fair preparation workshops in cooperation with MLP and Horbach, in which you will receive helpful information and practical tips for a convincing appearance. Both courses will take place on site at the DKFZ.
Here is an overview of the upcoming job fair preparation courses, with more details on both courses below.
Horbach
MLP
Workshop „Maximieren Sie Ihren Erfolg: Rhetorik, Bewerbung und Vorbereitung für den perfekten Auftritt auf der BioContact“
07.05.2025 | 17.00 – 20.00 | Lara Knöbel & Emily Sinn
German| DKFZ |
Target group:
Specialists and managers from the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and healthcare industries who want to improve their rhetoric, application strategies and presentation skills for BioContact.
Key Learnings:
- Optimisation of rhetoric:
- Effective communication techniques for clear, convincing presentations.
- Dealing with stage fright and boosting self-confidence.
- Storytelling to get your message across clearly.
- Perfect Application:
- Creating strong application documents.
- Best practices for applications to BioContact.
- Tips for a convincing digital application.
- Preparation for the perfect appearance:
- Planning and structuring interviews and networking.
- Creating an elevator pitch.
- Strategies for making the most of networking potential.
Why this workshop is important:
- Maximise career opportunities: Professional rhetoric and targeted applications will increase your chances of new career prospects.
- Increased visibility: With well thought-out preparation and self-presentation, you will set yourself apart from others.
- Improved communication skills: You will learn how to communicate clearly and convincingly, which is important in both interviews and presentations.
- Strategic event preparation: The workshop will help you to effectively achieve your goals at BioContact, be it for job offers or partnerships.
- Effective networking: You will learn how to establish and utilise valuable contacts at BioContact.
Workshop „Getting prepared! The perfect appearance at the online-fair: Life Scientists’ Special“
12.05.2025 | 18.00 – 20.00 | Dominik Saulér
English | DKFZ
In preparation for the CONTACT2025, this workshop gives you the opportunity to perfect your appearance at the job fair and to make your visit more successful:
- How do I make a convincing first impression?
- What should I do in order to get prepared?
- Which information about the exhibiting companies are relevant for me?
- How do I appear persuasive?
- Which documents should I have ready?
Answers to these and other questions will be given during the fair preparation workshop by Horbach Wirtschaftsberatung.
This year you additionally have the opportunity to send us your CV before the workshop, which will be reviewed by the speaker in advance. Based on your CVs, the workshop will be tailored to your needs. During the workshop, the speaker will already give valuable tips on your documents. Afterwards you will get a brief individual feedback on your CV.
Send your CV with the subject “Horbach MVS” to alina.buettner@horbach.de until the 07.05.2025
Register for a job fair preparation course
Tips for perfect job fair preparation
To make the best possible impression on potential new employers at the fair and to get an overview of the best tips and tricks, we have put together a small guide here.
Good luck!
Perfect preparation
Our job fair website and the job fair catalogue provide all the information about the companies that will be present at CONTACT25. With the help of detailed company profiles, you can find out all the important details about the companies and make up your own mind using the links and their social media presences.
Before you approach the company representatives, you should think about what you want to get out of the interview. Do you want to get a first feel for the company as an (entry-level) employer, write your master's or doctoral thesis there or do an internship? With this goal in mind, you should prepare yourself accordingly.
Perfect company selection
The best strategy to achieve your job fair goals is to create a priority list of your favourite companies. Don't take on too much, but concentrate on a maximum of five companies that particularly appeal to you. Then start with the lowest company and work your way up your list in reverse order. By the time you have reached your dream company, you will have already mastered up to four other interviews and been able to think of the best possible questions and answers.
It is particularly important to research a few facts about your dream company in advance. Find out about the current financial situation, what new products, services etc. are planned in the near future and whether the company philosophies match your own values. To do this, you can use our company profiles or find out more on the company websites or in business journals.
Perfect day at the fair
On the day of the fair itself, you should have at least the number of application folders ready with which you want to actively approach companies. It is best if you have already found out beforehand who the relevant contact person is and have adapted your cover letter accordingly. The application documents are your portfolio with which you present yourself at the fair - so take the time to make them as professional as possible.
As far as your outfit is concerned, you should dress appropriately for a job interview. We recommend what is known as ‘business casual’. You don't have to wear a suit and tie or a trouser suit, but can opt for a shirt in subtle colours or a simple blouse. You can combine this with cotton or chino trousers, and ladies also like to wear a knee-length skirt. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable and display a certain degree of professionalism.
Perfect topics of conversation
Find a free recruiter at the fair and introduce yourself with your name, degree programme and the purpose of the interview. Be enthusiastic about the company and try to avoid empty phrases. Try to steer the conversation so that you can talk about your previous experience that could be relevant to the potential employer. Dare to ask questions too! If they are formulated correctly and asked at the right time, this can definitely score you points.
Perfect follow-up
After each interview, you should make a brief note of how the interview went and what you were able to take away from it. Also make it clear what further steps were discussed and whether you promised to send further documents or contact the company in another way. This is particularly important if you have received personal contact details from a recruiter or representative. Feel free to send them an email thanking them for the interesting conversation. If you do not receive a reply for several weeks, you can also contact them by telephone.
