While career and jobs fairs might not sound like the most interesting of events, you should actually be thinking of them as great opportunities. These type of events are basically like open interviews set up for you to show off your skills and impress potential employers. Whether you are young or old, a job fair can help you get where you want to be. There are certain things you should be doing and ways you should be behaving at job fairs to ensure you are successful and these are as follows.
1. Dress to impress
Although not TECHNICALLY a job interview, you should still be trying to stand out to promising companies. This means looking professional by wearing the correct attire, it’s better to be overdressed than underdressed. As a man, you can’t go wrong with a suit and as a woman, a blouse with a smart skirt or trousers should work perfectly. In addition to this, being groomed and generally looking approachable is recommended.
2. Take multiple copies of your resume
Ensure that you have an up to date resume showing off your best qualities and take plenty copies of resume to the event. You should take at least two copies for each company that you are interested in, PLUS a couple extra, it’s good to be ambitious right?
3. Research employers
You should be able to find out what companies are at the fair and for that you should know information about their business, research is key. Showing that you have some basic knowledge is really going to work in your favor. The companies are going to notice this attention to detail and it will definitely make you stand out from other individuals at the event for all the right reasons.
4.Practice other interview skills
You should prepare for interview because this is basically what a career fair is, just with more companies and even more competition. Consider what your answers to certain questions would be for basic job interview questions. You should also remember that eye contact is important, a smile goes a long way and always have a firm handshake.
5. Have a strategy
When you first get into the fair, survey the area and where the companies are sitting. You should of course focus on the employers that you are really interested in but there is no harm in visiting others too and just getting a general feel for the companies. The more you get noticed around the event, the better your chances are going to be of securing a position. It is a good idea to revisit your favorites at the end just to thank them for their time!
Conclusion
No matter what type of experience you have (or even if you have none at all), you should think of job fairs as a stepping stone to reaching your goals. The more you get to know the world of business, the better and the five tips that have been mentioned are going to help you enormously when you go to one of these events.