Guaranteed Job Fair Success

Have you considered attending a job fair as part of your search or networking strategy?  Job fairs are excellent networking opportunities and in addition, are places to get a great sense of “what’s hot and what’s not” in your industry and in the marketplace.  Employers attend job fairs to increase brand awareness and to tap into available talent.  Job fairs also allow for employers to conduct initial screenings for potential candidates on the spot. That said, below are some steps to take to ensure a successful experience.
 
Research companies ahead of time:  Job fairs can be packed both with job seekers and with many companies to talk to.  All in all, they can be overwhelming and exhausting so in order to best leverage your time, patience and energy, take the time to research ahead of time which companies you would like to target.  Additionally, when you know your target companies, you can visit their websites to glean valuable information about the company and their culture and customize your material to appeal to them.
 
Plan to approach employers even if they aren’t recruiting for the job you want:  A great benefit of attending job fairs in that you can open conversations with people who can be your right contacts so engage in conversation and ask insightful and information gathering questions.  Even if the company is not recruiting for your ideal job, you never know when something might open up and the company contact may be able to direct you to someone else in the company you can speak to regarding another opportunity.
 
Have your job card and Elevator Pitch ready:  Employers can see hundreds of candidates at job fairs and you want to stand out.  Two ways to stand out are to prepare job cards to take with you and to go armed with a killer elevator pitch. 
 
Job cards are similar to business cards with your name, professional title, tag line and contact information on the front, (including LinkedIn URL) and 4-8 bullet points of your key areas of expertise on the back.  Consider exchanging cards with as many company representatives that you can. 
 
Furthermore, employers want to know what you can do for them, so come prepared with a concise statement outlining your skills and experience, and how you can help to solve their problems.
 
One template that I suggest for a strong elevator pitch is as follows:
(1)  My name is….and I am a ……
(2)  I support organizations to….
(3)  I do this by…..
(4)  My key strengths include…..
(5)  I am currently targeting a position where I can support your organization with…..
 
Dress for an interview:  Impromptu and on-the-spot interviews happen at job fairs, so it is best to go dressed in your best with copies of your resume in hand. Furthermore, studies have shown that an employer’s image of you is determined within the first 10-12 seconds of meeting you so first impressions count!  As you circulate the room, introduce yourself with confidence and purpose and be considerate of your body language, handshake, eye contact, facial expression, and voice.  Last of all, be prepared to answer the question “why do you want to work for us?”, or “why should we hire you?”.
 
Before ending each conversation, be sure to exchange business cards with the people you speak with and jot down notes so you can personalize your follow-up email.
 
Plan to follow up:  After the job fair, plan to send a follow-up note to the contacts you meet. Add them to your LinkedIn network so that you can keep the conversation going, ensure that you stay top of their mind and take the opportunity to reiterate why you have what they are looking for.  Most important of all, following up empowers you in continuing to build important networking relationships for long term job employability.  Preparing your material and knowledge advance and approaching job fairs with enthusiasm, confidence and can open the doors to exciting job opportunities.
 
Wishing you a successful week!

Lysa