Strategies for Career Fair Success

Career Fair StrategyCareer fairs can be one of the craziest places to conduct your job search. They’re often held in large venues to accommodate a large number of people, which means more competition for you and less chances of getting a shot at a job. Still, this shouldn’t keep you from going to one.

 

There’s a reason why companies keep using job fairs: It’s because they find good employees. You could be one of the standout job candidates, so if you haven’t been going to job fairs, you’re definitely missing out.

If you’re ready to take advantage of the opportunities provided by job fairs, here are some tips for you:

Make a list – If you live in a big city, you’re in luck. Most likely, career fairs are a regular event in your area. You should start scouting for ones that might have companies in your industry. Be resourceful and use every avenue to locate information on upcoming job fairs. Find out if registration is required or if it’s open to everyone. Get as much information as you can about it.

Dig deep – Once you have a list of all the career fairs you want to go to, you need to start digging deeper. For example, there might be conflicts in your schedule or fairs that are held simultaneously. With the right research, you can make more informed decisions as to which job fairs you should attend.

Be early – One thing is for sure: Recruiters will meet with many people as the day progresses. There will be great deal of information thrown at them, and they will not remember everything. They will only remember the candidates who stand out while they still have a fresh mind. Therefore, if you want to have quality time with recruiters, you want to meet them first or at least early in the day.

Do a reconnaissance – There is only so much you learn about the fair through research. There might be unexpected surprises once you get there, such as finding a company you really want to work for. Spend your first hour going around deciding which ones to focus on.

Prepare a booth speech – You won’t have much time when talking to recruiters, so you’ll have to be ready once they say, “Tell me about yourself.” You have to make the most out of every second when trying to get their attention. This is also important so that you can give others a chance and not monopolize a recruiter’s time.

After the event – While you may have had great encounters with the recruiters, it will be hard for them to remember each person they meet. In order to help them, attach a short note with your resume. Tell them about something that will help them to remember your conversation. After that, send them an email with a slightly different message from your note. Ask them if they had a chance to read your note, and reiterate your interest for the job and why you are a great fit.

Careers fairs present a great opportunity for job seekers. There are potentially hundreds of job openings available. You just need to get out there and take advantage of it. With the right preparation and by following the tips above, you are likely to find success at your next job fair.

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Alan Carniol

Alan is the creator of Interview Success Formula, a training program that has helped more than 80,000 job seekers to ace their interviews and land the jobs they deserve. Interviewers love asking curveball questions to weed out job seekers. But the truth is, most of these questions are asking about a few key areas. Learn more about how to outsmart tough interviewers by watching this video.