Do Job Fairs Work?
Job fairs are places where employers or recruiters meet prospective employees. Job fairs do work for job-searchers because recruiters are able to find talent for very little expense, according to an article on Emory University's website. Job fairs are efficient ways for seekers to meet several recruiters in a short amount of time. In order for job fairs to be successful, you must do your homework and prepare for them in advance.
Other People Are Reading
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Resumes
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Ensure you have plenty of resumes and that they are well-written and printed on a fairly heavy bond paper. Do not include fancy borders, graphics or pictures of yourself. Use standard-size paper--anything that won't fit in the recruiter's folder may get thrown away.
Dress
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You will likely be competing with hundreds and maybe even thousands of others at a job fair. Try to stand out by dressing professionally but throw on an accessory that will help recruiters remember you. Ladies can wear a unique piece of jewelry, while men may use a tie clip or conservative-looking pocket square in the jacket's breast pocket.
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Time Frame
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Rarely will a person be hired on the spot at a job fair; however, some job-seekers, especially top-notch candidates, may get calls very quickly for open positions. Some job-seekers receive calls several months after the job fair. As positions open, recruiters may contact people they met at prior job fairs to still if they are still interested.
Elevator Speech
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Practice and perfect your elevator speech before the job fair. Elevator speeches are 30-second blurbs that tell a recruiter who you are and what you want. Try to interject a memorable fact into your speech to help recruiters remember you.
Review the Company List
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Before attending a job fair, try to review the list of companies that will be in attendance. Reviewing the list in advance will save you from attending a job fair that is solely for IT professionals when you are looking for a position in law enforcement.
Reserach
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Research companies that will be in attendance before you head out to a job fair. This will help you to answer questions in a relevant manner and ask intelligent questions. Recruiters are apt to be more impressed with prospective employees who know a little about the company.
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References
- Photo Credit Eastern Washington University/Flickr.com/creativecommons
