March 14, 2012 How to Up Your Odds at a Job Fair
By Margaret Smith, UXL:
SPEAKER | CAREER COACH | CERTIFIED INSIGHTS DISCOVERY PRACTITIONER
Although attending a job fair is not necessarily the fast track to employment, it does improve your chance of making a connection with important individuals and organizations that give you a competitive edge.
Last January the Pioneer Press published an article titled, “Job Fair Require Strategic Approach” that offered some tips that I found particularly helpful for navigating this competitive and sometimes intimidating event.
To improve your odds, always plan ahead by researching the employers who are participating and the types of positions they’re looking to fill. The article’s author, John A. Challenger, reminds job fair attendees that it is “critical to maintain a positive and upbeat attitude throughout the job fair” and that this positive attitude should prevail “despite your frustration with the job market and waiting lines”.
Challenger is the chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray, & Christmas Inc, the global outplacement consultancy that pioneered outplacement as an employer-paid benefit in the 1960s. Here are his top tips for getting what you want out of your job fair:
JOB FAIR TIPS
>> Dress as if you were going to an interview. Wear neat, pressed clothes and shined shoes. Cover tattoos, if possible.
>> Smile: Make your first impression count. Remember your image—I am a professional, I have no problems, I will create no problems, and I will solve all your problems.
>> Be yourself. Don’t play a role, but be your best self.
>> Shake hands. Be enthusiastic. Show interest in the company and the representative. Know what the company does.
>> Sell yourself. Treat this like an interview. Tell the company representative what kind of employee you are, what you can do for a company and give some examples of each.
>> Make sure you understand each company’s application procedure, whether paper or online. Ask for a business card for proper information. Fill out applications completely and neatly. Include a copy of your resume when returning the application.
>> Approach each employer’s table by yourself, not with a clump of friends.
>> Bring plenty of resumes. Put them in a folder or portfolio so they don’t get crushed. Don’t give out your resume right away. Talk to the company representative first.
>> Remember to be positive, prepared, polite, and polished.
Are you currently struggling to navigate the job market or an important career change? I can help. CONTACT ME TODAY to learn how I guide you as you develop a strategy to showcase your skills and land the position or projects that align to them best.
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