JOB FAIR

50 TIPS FOR JOB SEEKERS

Before the Job Fair

Take the Job Fair seriously!  You’re making important first impressions. Employers remember only a few of the hundreds of job seekers they meet at the Fair.

Check with your LEC for a listing of employers that will be participating at the Fair

Research the companies that interest you.  Learn who the companies are and what they do.  (Check company websites if available.)

Be prepared to make cogent conversation and ask relevant / timely questions toemployers (this will make you an interesting and memorable applicant).

Create a one-minute ‘commercial’ about yourself.  Your ‘commercial’ shouldexplain: a) who you are, b) your qualifications and accomplishments, c) special<    skills and values that set you apart from other applicants, and d) one or twospecific examples of what you could do to solve actual company problems (howyou could benefit the company).  Practice your ‘commercial’ out loud to feelcomfortable.  Your delivery of the commercial (confident and enthusiastic, yetnatural) is perhaps more important than the content of your commercial.  YOUROBJECTIVE IS TO SAY ONE TRULY MEMORABLE THING TO EMPLOYERS!

Resumes – tailor your resume to the specific job(s) you’re applying for.  (If you’reuncertain about the quality and content of your resume, visit a counselor at yourLEC)  Take sufficient copies of your resume to the job fair.  Make sure yourresumes are crisp and clean.

If there’s potential for on-the-spot interviewing or hiring at the Fair, take referenceletters and cover letters, and assemble a professional portfolio (that containsexamples of work and accomplishments).

Be prepared to answer questions.  Review standard interview questions andformulate your responses.

Prepare questions to ask employers: what opportunities and available; what arethe responsibilities; what skills are companies seeking in candidates?

Make a prioritized list of employers you’d like to meet with at the Job Fair (this isyour target list) .

Plan your strategy.  Visit booths first that interest you the most (when your energyis high and you’re at your best).  Do not wonder or roam!  Present yourself with apurpose.  Don’t be shy – be prepared!

Take pens and paper.

Dress for success!  Dress in a manner for the job you’re applying for (e.g.,construction job applicants need not wear suit and tie).  Be well groomed.  Treatthe Job Fair like any job interview.

Set realistic expectations.  Few job seekers are hired on-the-spot at Job Fairs.Be prepared to follow up on promising leads.

Block sufficient time in your schedule to attend the Job Fair.  Make preparationsto arrive on time

At the Job Fair

Some experts suggest to arrive early or late at the Job Fair.  (The first and lastpeople are often remembered while the ones in between become a blur.)

Check-in at the registration table.  Get a copy of the job fair layout, the employerparticipation list, and drop off a copy of your resume (if this service is available).Find booth locations of your targeted employers.

Briskly (but attentively) walk through the entire job fair.  Scope-out employers youwant to talk to.  Observe which employers are busy and which aren’t.  Makespecial note of employers that are conducting secondary interviews, either at theirbooth or in another location (these are the employers who are serious abouthiring).  Identify the person conducting secondary interviews and seek thatperson out!

Get a feeling for the entire Job Fair.  Then, go and sit for a few moments tocompose yourself and to finalize your ‘plan of attack’!

Approach your targeted companies:

From a distance (about 2 meters away), observe and listen to employersinteracting with other applicants.  Listen to what the employer is asking. Figureout who is in charge.  What happens to the resumes (are there multiple resumepiles, does anyone write on them)?

Determine the highest level employer-representative in the booth.  Seek thisperson out.

While waiting in line, review information about the employer you’re approaching.

As you approach the table, respect other people’s privacy as they complete theirinteraction with the employer.

When you meet with an employer:

Give an award winning SMILE!

Greet each employer with a firm handshake.  Make eye contact!  Be polite!

Introduce yourself.  Look confident!

State why you have chosen this employer.

Try to remember the employer’s name.  Glance at a nametag.

Show interest.  State briefly what you like about the company.

Deliver your ‘one-minute commercial’ (that you developed in step 5 above).  Besensitive to the timing and situation before using your ‘commercial’ – adapt it asthe circumstance dictates.

Listen carefully to what the employer says.  The room may be noisy and busy, butdon’t be distracted.  Focus, focus, focus!

Ask questions (the questions you prepared in step 7 above).

Answer questions directly, politely, and concisely.  REMEMBER THE GOAL ISTO BE ASKED BACK FOR AN ‘IN-HOUSE’ INTERVIEW.

Ask about the application procedure and hiring process.  What’s the timeframe?Is there a convenient time to call to follow up?

Do NOT ask questions about salary and benefits (wait until later for these type ofquestions).

Request a business card or obtain a contact name, phone number, fax, and emailaddress.  Take brochures or informational materials that are available at thebooth.

Don’t let promotional ‘freebies’ on the table distract you and do not grab at them.

Thank each employer for their time.

If you’re given an application form, take time to fill it out neatly and completely.Remember the way you fill out the application is in itself an example of your work.

Conduct your self professionally at all times.  You are ‘on stage’ even as youstand in line or move about the Fair area.

Stay fresh!  Job Fairs can be exhausting.  If you start to get tired, take a break.

Network with other job seekers at the Fair.  Share leads, resources, and ideas.

Keep a list of the employers you meet.  Make notes about each company andyour conversation with each representative. 

After the Job Fair

Pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

Review your notes from the Job Fair.  Evaluate what you think went well andwhat you can improve for the next Job Fair or interview.

Write personalized thank-you letters to companies that interest you.  Citesomething specific from your discussion.  Try to send letters out within two daysafter the Job Fair.  It’s okay to enclose a resume with your thank-you letter.  Thismay draw attention to your name once again.

Call to make sure the company received your application materials if you don’thear from them in two weeks after the Job Fair.  At this time you can check on thestatus of the position and offer to come in for an interview.

Continue to research the companies that interest you.  Treat the Job Fair as aninitial contact, not the last

Keep accurate records of your contacts, including dates of your letters ortelephone calls, and copies of all application materials that you send. 

Final Tip

Focus on learning as much as you can about what employers are looking for inthe people they hire.  The primary benefit of participation in the Fair is to collectinformation and make contacts.

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