How to Make the Most of Job Fairs

Ever tried speed dating? If yes, then you can already imagine what attending a job fair would be like, the only difference being that instead of meeting prospective dates, you would be meeting potential employers and hence, it is all the more necessary for you to put your best foot forward.

However, you can't obviously pay attention to all the prospective employers at a job fair and come back feeling that the time and effort spent were worth the while.

So, here are a few tips on how to make your attendance at a job fair count:



Be selective

Don't just rush to the job booths one after another. First, make a list of the job fairs that concentrate on your field of expertise. Then, find out what companies are participating in the fair. Do a quick search on the Internet for these companies and shortlist the ones that make an impression on you. You list should have about five company names on it, and while short listing the companies, do not just concentrate on the big brand names; pay attention to the small companies attending the fair as well. In other words, instead of the popularity of the brand name, concentrate on the opportunities that exist in the company and the direction of growth of the company. After all, these are the factors that will affect your career the most if you are selected to work at that company.

Armed with this list, set out for the job fair and ensure that you spend a decent amount of time speaking with the representatives of the companies of your choice. Later on, if time permits, check out a few other companies that may look interesting as well.

Ensure that you stand out

Your face time with the company representatives would be short as they have to talk to a lot of potential candidates the same day and even you have many booths to visit. Hence, go to the job fair prepared with a set of relevant questions that you want to ask the company representative. These questions could be about the opportunity that you are considering or the company's current priorities. Basically, you want to appear well informed about the company and the opportunity offered so that the recruiter takes you seriously in the five minutes that you get with him. Also, it is important to dress formally. Just because it is a fair and you will only get about five minutes of face time with the recruiter does not mean that it isn't a serious interview. Make every second count and leave a lasting impression in those five minutes. After all, these five minutes may just land you your dream job!

Follow up after the event

Just because the fair is over does not mean that all the open positions have been closed. The fair just gave the employers an opportunity to connect with a large number of people interested to work in their company. Hence, you need to be a little proactive and remind them of your existence.

Once you get home from the fair, send a thank you email to the company representatives you met and briefly reiterate the value you can add to their company of given a chance to do so. Also, mention a few points that you think sets you apart from all the other candidates who are interested in the same position.

Just because you cannot control most of the aspects of a job fair, don't assume that you have no control over the results of your job search at the fair. Be selective, appear confident and informed, show that you are serious about the opportunity, and follow up after the fair. These small basic steps will ensure that your time was well spent at the job fair.