STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

kenzie · Chanel

Job Fair Tips

HeatherLynn · Gucci

Ugh I hate job fairs. I went to them quite a bit in college and always felt like I was part of a herd of cows going from booth to booth.

Some tips though because at my current company we do find some employees this way:
1. Walk up to one person and introduce yourself and ask them a little about the company.
2. Give them a brief history of yourself.
3. Keep everything fairly short, light, and positive.
4. Communicate clearly! This is a huge one. You would not believe how many people will walk up to us at a booth and stammer and studder and not have a clue how to speak to us.
5. Try to get a business card. If you are interested in the position(s) they mention go to the company website and apply. Sometimes it can take a long time for companies to go through the stacks of resumes they get at career fairs and applying online at the company website gives you a heads up.
6. Print your resume on something different than white paper. This makes it stick out more in the stack of resumes.

Hmm thats about it. They are tough for me because I always feel awkward walking up to random people I don't know and asking for a job basically. I am MUCH better in the interview situations. Let me know if you have any more specific questions and I will try to come up with some more tips. My department sends us to career fairs all the time and I went as a job searcher in college so I have quite a bit of experience with them.

-- Edited by HeatherLynn at 14:20, 2007-04-07

littlebean · Kate Spade

I think that it is good to prepare a few questions beforehand that you could ask to different employers and also prepare a few sentences about yourself -- it's corny but I always think that saying these things several times beforehand in front of the mirror helps to make sure they come out confidently, clearly, etc.

kenzie · Chanel

HeatherLynn wrote:

Hmm thats about it. They are tough for me because I always feel awkward walking up to random people I don't know and asking for a job basically. I am MUCH better in the interview situations. Let me know if you have any more specific questions and I will try to come up with some more tips.

This is how I feel, too. It just seems like an awkward situation altogether. I'm not sure my schedule is really going to work with it, though, because I have meetings for most of the day on Friday that I can't get out of (unless I call out sick). But since I'm doing a training seminar for the sales reps, I think calling out that day might be frowned upon.

pollyjean23 · Marc Jacobs

I know it's after-the-fact, but I wanted to make a few points about job fairs.

How to make the most of them:
-Research who is going to be there beforehand

-Plan out who you want to talk to and don't bother with the ones you don't

-Not only is it a waste of time if you don't research beforehand, it will also make you less desirable as a candidate if you walk up to a table asking, "so what does your company do?"

-Bring some resumes but be prepared to have recruiters tell you to "apply online." (they might not even take your resume; that's just the way things are these days).

-Develop a short "commercial" about yourself for when it comes time to talk about you. It doesn't have to sound like you're reading from a cue card-just rehearse some key points so you don't forget them when you are meeting all these new people.

-Get a name and a card for each company that interests you. Follow up.

-Some people apply online BEFORE going to the career fair. That will definitely grab the employer's attention. Since you have already applied online, you and the recruiter are more likely to get down to the nitty-gritty.

-I suggest people go to career fairs even if they are not actively looking for a job. It is a great way to practice meeting new people, perfecting your handshake, and learning about companies.

-Take a break part of the way through. Sit off on the sidelines for a minute so you remain fresh for each table you approach.

-Just do it: Just walk up, extend your hand, say "hello my name is... Do you have any openings in marketing or customer service?"

-Smile and dress professionally.

-Individuals who dress semi-professional or business-casual don't stand out from the crowd at many job fairs. If you have a suit, wear it. It will show how serious you are about getting a job.

-Keep your hands as free as possible. You don't want to be jumbling around with a bunch of stuff in your arms (briefcase, purse, folder, free pens, etc.)

Suasoria · Chanel

I'm proud of you for doing this. Please tell us how it goes!!

kenzie · Chanel

Suasoria wrote:

I'm proud of you for doing this. Please tell us how it goes!!

Ugh. I couldn't go. I had meetings for half the day at work on Friday and for the other half I was running around like an idiot trying to get things ready for our event next week. Taking a vacation day may have been frowned upon and viewed as highly suspicious. Boohiss.

But, I'm keeping an eye out for other job fairs and I've been sending out resumes for every job I can find in my field in this area (which sadly, is very, very few).