Job Fair Preparation

In this day and age of online applications, job fairs are a terrific way to meet with employers in person.  Being prepared is essential to making the best use of your time at a job fair and will help you make meaningful connections.
 

Locate Job Fair Opportunities
If you’re in the Twin Cities area, please join us next Tuesday, May 14, 2013 from 11 AM – 1 PM at the Richfield Campus – this job fair is open to the public. Here are some additional resources for finding job fairs: nationalcareerfairs.com/career_fairs/ and minnesotajobs.com/minnesota-job-fairs/

Research Logistics
Don’t be a Job Fair Crasher – they might not let you in.  Be sure to follow guidelines and requirements. You may need to register, pay a fee, be a member of an organization, a student or alumni of a college or university, or submit your resume ahead of time. Take note of time, location, directions, bus routes, and parking. If you need to pay for parking, bring cash, change, and your credit card.

Know Thyself
There are several things you should know about yourself before you attend a job fair if you are in serious job search mode.  You’ll need to know what your objective is, what kinds of job(s) are you looking for. What date are you available to start working and what hours are you available. Based on current job market value, determine your salary/wage and benefit requirements.

Know Your Audience
Research each of the companies that will be at the job fair. Then research each company’s website to see what positions are currently open and their current overall organizational needs.  Have they been in the news recently?  Have there been any mergers, acquisitions, or any new executive management?  Do these companies have a social media presence? Can you find contacts for them on Linkedin through your personal network or the MSB/GU/BVU Alumni Network (check with Career Services to see if we have any alums who work for companies that will be at the job fair). Make and “A” (definitely) and “B” (if there’s time) list of the companies you would like meet.

Review Your Resume - Make an appointment a career counselor to review your resume. Make sure you have a specific objective statement on your resume with job titles and key words so that employers will remember what types of jobs you want when they get back to their office with a huge stack of resumes.  Make LOTS of copies of your resume. More than you would think you need.  You don’t need to use expensive watermark paper for a job fair.  Buy a ream of ultra-bright white paper to copy your resume. It will look great and be inexpensive.

Online Presence – Update your Linkedin profile with your current and past work experience, relevant coursework, and a professional photograph.  Add your Linkedin address to your resume.  Check your online presence by searching for yourself and see what pops up – this is what employers will see when they look for you.  Tighten up your privacy settings in Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites, check your photo tags, delete anything that could be potentially off-putting to an employer. Don’t assume your privacy settings are fool-proof, employers can find you through your friends, spouse, partners, family members, group memberships, even pages that you “Like”. Don't post anything you wouldn't want your current employer or a prospective employer to see. Avoid any comments that could be interpreted as racist, sexist or discriminatory in any way. Remove or un-tag photos of you that show you in an unfavorable light.  Look at your wall. Remove comments from your friends that seem distasteful. Look at the apps on your profile. Does their purpose portray you well? There are more than a few apps that may not be the best ones to have on your page when you're looking to get a job. What groups are you a member of? If you belong to "It's 5 am, I'm drunk, and on Facebook" or any similar groups, you probably want to leave them. When in doubt, leave it out! 

Hone Your Presentation Skills – Practice your hand shake and make sure you don’t shake hands to hard or worse…the floppy fish!  Smile on your face and in your eyes, handshake is firm but not harsh, held long enough to notice the other person's eye color to help build rapport.

Practice your 30-second-elevator pitch that quickly details what the skills and experience you bring to the table and the kind of work that interests you most. Check out http://www.dumblittleman.com/2007/08/how-to-craft-killer-elevator-pitch-that.html, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaK7ve5CU4A, and http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=Y2OGET0ig90&feature=endscreen for elevator pitch suggestions. 

Dress for Success – pick out a professional outfit and make sure it fits well before the fair.  Wash and clean it, dry clean it more than a week in advance if needed.  If you need a hair cut, don’t do it the day before the event in case you’re not pleased with it. Give it more time – 2 weeks or so. Get your rest!  Go to bed early the night before so you are well rested and prepared for the event.

At the Fair
Wear comfortable, professional, and polished shoes, socks, or nylons.  No flip flops! Don’t wear high heels because you’ll be walking a lot.  Leave your computer, bags, and purses at home. You don’t want to be lugging a bunch of bags with you and it will make it awkward to shake hands while holding a bunch of stuff.  If it’s cold out, be sure to hang your coat up or leave it in your car so you don’t have to carry that around either.

Bring a notepad and pen to take notes and a small bag to keep your resumes and to place company information and business cards.  Bring a small up-to-date calendar. Turn off your cell phone so you aren’t accidentally interrupted while talking to an employer. If you need to use your phone, go out in the lobby to use it.

Use your “A” and “B” lists. Don’t wait in long lines, keep moving and meeting companies.  Pretend your on a treasure hunt.  Sometimes the employers with the best opportunities aren’t the big name companies.  They be relatively unknown yet have great positions that will provide excellent growth.

Introduce yourself and use your elevator pitch. Be sure to express interest and excitement in their positions.  Ask about their current and future positions and their application process. Offer your resume. If they won’t accept resumes at the job fair, ask them “What’s the best way to stand out as an applicant for your company?” Avoid talking about any controversial topics.

Collect information and business cards from the employers.  Take hand outs (such as candy and promo items) only if offered and don’t take much.

Talk to other job seekers. They may have some helpful suggestions, know something about the companies you don’t know, know of job leads, or have current or past connections to companies and positions that interest you.

After the Fair
Apply for jobs exactly as instructed. Send a personalized Linkedin invitation to the contacts you made noting how you met them.  If you have their email address, send an email promptly thanking them for their time and consideration and providing your resume and cover letter even if you gave them a copy of your resume at the job fair. They may have misplaced it before they returned to the office.

If you had an on-site interview with an employer, send a formal thank you note in the mail.