Top Tips for Attending Career Fairs

Career Fairs are not as common now as they have been in the past when employers found a shortage of qualified applicants but they can still be a good opportunity for the job searcher.  Many colleges still host career fairs for their graduates and some local career resource agencies may do the same.  If a job fair is being hosted in your area be prepared!  Here are some tips to help you be noticed among your fellow applicants.

Bring resumes and a folder or portfolio to hold your materials. [Business cards are also good to have.]  Always be prepared with a fresh crisp resume.  Most employers will ask that you submit a job application online, but some may want to look at your credentials on the spot.  Employers may also have job descriptions and other materials about the positions they are looking to fill and you'll want some way to protect these important papers.

Have a pen/pencil and paper available for notes.  Its a good idea to make notes about the jobs that really interest you.  You may need to copy down an email or web address or you may learn the name of the hiring manager you'll need to speak with.  Don't trust this information to memory, write it down!

Be prepared! Take the time to find out what companies will be represented before the day of the career fair.  Most career fairs will provide this information on a flyer or online.  Research information about the participating companies and organizations prior to approaching the recruiters. The internet is a great resource for this!  You can impress a recruiter when you know about his or her company and can discuss the latest news stories about its current situation. 

Use your time wisely.  If you are able to get a list of employers up front, look closely at it and decide which employers you are most interested in working for.  When you arrive at the fair, focus on these employers first.  Then if you have extra time, introduce yourself to the other recruiters.

Consider employers you may dismiss on first glance.  There may be job opportunities at employers you have not considered before. For instance, you may not have thought about working for your local hospital system but it takes professionals in many different fields to keep a hospital going.  Think about each employer and where your career goals might fit.

Have a great introduction.  If you are going to a career fair, it is almost a guarantee you are going to need to introduce yourself to someone you have not met before.  Be prepared with a short "elevator speech".  Be able to introduce yourself, and give a brief background of your experience.  And with brief I mean that your entire introduction should be less than a minute.  Remember to use good eye contact and a firm handshake.

Be aware of time demands on employers. Do not monopolize all of the time an employer has. Ask specific questions that show your interest and gather the information you need.  Offer to follow up after the fair on any opportunities you are truly interested in.

Ask the employer for the next steps in the recruitment process. Make sure you know whom to contact for follow-up discussions and try to obtain the recruiter’s business card so you can contact them again.  If you had a nice discussion with a recruiter, send them an email after the fair to thank them for their time, even if they did not have a position currently for you.  When they do have an opening, they are more likely to remember you if you go above and beyond.

Good luck at your next career fair!

Have more tips to add?  Leave them in our comments section below!

Job Hunt Tools: Turn Business Cards into Miniature Resumes

When you are looking for a new job, it is important to use every tool that you have in your job hunting tool box.  Here is one tool that you may not have thought about before:  Business Cards!  These small squares of cardstock can be an easy way to provide a lot of information to recruiters and hiring mangers in a quick and easy fashion.  Think of them as a miniature version of your resume.

Thanks to the internet, it is easier than ever to have custom business cards printed and delivered to your house in just a couple of days.  These cards range from fancy to sleek and simple and range widely in price.  A google search for business cards will bring up sites that will provide cards for free (with their website address on the back) or nicer cards that can be purchased for a small amount of money. 

Your career field should help determine the design of your miniature resume.  A crayon motif works great if you are looking for a daycare or elementary school teaching position, but that design will not work as well if you are hoping to become an accountant.  For most professional occupations I would choose a simple uncluttered design.  If you are unsure of which design to choose, a plain black and white card will serve your purpose.

Some of the information you will want to include on your miniature resumes is the same as most business cards: Your name, contact phone number, & email address.  A note about email addresses: Make sure that your email address is professional, not silly or bizarre.  The best email addresses are a variation of your name.  If you do not have an email address that is appropriate, you may want to set up a new email account just for your job hunt.  It's easy to get a free one from sites like Gmail.

When considering what else to include on your miniature resume, think about what a hiring manager is going to want to know about you.  If you have earned any professional designations, you will want to include them.  If you have your own professional website or have a well established Linked In profile, you may want to include these on your card as well.  Include your twitter and facebook accounts only if you use them mostly in a professional capacity.  I'll have more tips for twitter and facebook job hunting in a later post.

If you choose a two sided card, consider using one side of the card to provide a brief summary of your credentials.  I would not try to include your entire resume, just a short blurb about what you have to offer to a new employer. 

Once you have your new miniature resume cards, hand them out to everyone you meet!  These cards are great to hand out at Career Fairs or to attach to your resume when submitting an application.  Use the card as a tool to let your network know that you are looking for a new position. 

Best of luck in your job hunt!

Welcome to The Job Maze

In the United States of America, the current unemployment rate is hovering around 8.1% (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2012) and it many areas of the country this rate is much higher. This rate does not include those who have stopped looking for work, or those who are considered under-employed.  It seems like it is harder than ever to find and keep quality employment.

Maybe you have just graduated from high school or even college.

Maybe you have been laid off from your prior job.

Maybe it is just time for you to make a career change.

The path to success is not straight but tangled, however there are steps you can take to smooth the way.  Consider this blog not a map, but a traveller's guide.  Each person's journey is unique, but there are tips and tricks that can help everyone.