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Ah, the fair – a sprawling campus of fun! Ferris wheels, music, cotton candy, and deep-fried whatever you want. Now imagine all that fun has a theme called a “paid position of employment” and instead of rides, food, and candy you get recruiters, hiring managers, and human resources professionals. That is the winning formula that is the modern job fair, so let’s take the tour.
Your typical job fair is at a convention center or hotel, lasts several hours, and between all the company representatives and job seekers is most likely very crowded. Job fairs are organized and run by professional event companies; regardless of the name or place, they all do the same thing – packing employers and potential employees in the same room until everybody gets a turn on the one and only ride – the job screening carousel comprised of a brief “meet and greet” between yourself and a company representative.
Want to maximize your time and impact at a job fair? Here are ten steps to success.
Step #1: Register online in advance, so you don’t have to waste valuable time signing up at the fair when you could be meeting hiring managers. Check the event website to complete this first step.
Step #2: Plan ahead. If the list of exhibitors is available in advance, determine your must-see companies and plan on visiting them first.
Step #3: If you are able to create a list of must-see companies in advance, have customized cover letters ready to go for each of these employers. Taking the time to do that will demonstrate advance preparation and signal a genuine interest in the company.
Step #4: You should have a stack of resumes ready in hand. High quality watermarked resume paper or bonded linen paper is recommended. And it’s better to have too many resumes with you than too few – you can’t hand something out you don’t have.
Step #5: Dress to impress. Some variation of this phrase can normally be found on job fair event pages – that is how important it is. At a job fair, you will be in a sea of people who are in their best interviewing attire, so dress to kill. Wear your most professional outfit (i.e., suit).
Step #6: Get your elevator pitch ready. This is your unbelievable Hollywood movie 30-second pitch of why a company should hire you. Considering you won’t have more than a few minutes with each employer to introduce yourself, a well-honed elevator pitch is critical. Learn more about how to craft an effective message here.
Step #7: Arrive early. Job fairs start quiet then build to a roar as the day progresses. If you are part of the first wave of job seekers, you will avoid the long lines certain to form at the event’s peak, as well as have more time with the recruiter and/or hiring manager, who are much more fresh and eager to speak to potential candidates when the doors open than right before they close.
Step #8: Prepare to hurry up and wait. Job fairs are the speed dating of interviewing, minus the speed. Expect to stand in a line and for your interview time to be short. You can mitigate this to a degree by following Step #7.
Step #9: Get in line and shine. Time to interview. Good luck! While you’re waiting for your turn, pay close attention to the rhythms of the interviews so you know what to expect. If candidates are in and out in two minutes, or ten, tweak your approach to fit the circumstances.
Step #10: Write post-event thank you notes. The employers will see so many people at a job fair that this is a simple way to separate your resume from all the others. Do not forget to collect business cards. It will make your life easier when your write the notes.
Philip Roufail contributed to this article.
Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercareerstrategies.com.
