How to Successfully Work a Job Fair

 By Stephanie Legatos

Don’t put yourself – and your hopes and feelings – on a roller coaster when you decide to go to a job fair! Job fairs are primarily networking events – not a place to expect or obtain an on-the-spot offer. Having said that, there are a number of benefits to attending job fairs:

• Expand your job search strategy: Whether you are unemployed or in career transition – use all avenues available.
• Build skills: Specifically, use the opportunity to practice and polish your 60-second commercial. In general, you will gain comfort and confidence in meeting new people, establishing rapport quickly, as well as hone your communication skills.
• Obtain feedback: on your resume and your job search.
• Gather information: about the company’s products and/or services, as well as their business challenges. Identify or confirm trends in the industry. Find out about current and emerging needs (leads – potential job opportunities).
• Expand your network: Ask for the business card of everyone recruiter or company representative that you meet. If they don’t have a card, have your notebook or Palm Pilot available to take their name, title, company, e-mail and telephone number.
• Have a mini-interview: Jobs do exist at job fairs! Companies use job fairs as a way to screen potential candidates and to source candidates for positions that will soon be available. Treat any interactions as you would an interview – first impressions count!

Preparation:

Do your homework:

• Get a list of the companies that are attending
• Identify the one’s you are most interested in
• Review their websites to obtain information about their products, services, mission, goals, customers

Have your resume ready:

• Bring enough copies on resume-quality paper
• Bring personal business cards, if you have them. An inexpensive resource is vistaprint.com – cards are free, you pay for shipping.

Develop your 60-second commercial:

• Be clear about your objective
• Capitalize on your key skills as they relate to the company or industry

Ask intelligent questions:

• Based on your research, ask questions that demonstrate that you know about the company. For example, you might mention that you read about new funding that they received or that you saw a press release focusing on the new incoming executive director.
• Don’t ask basic questions that can be answered by information on their website.

Dress accordingly:

• Look like you intended to be there.
• Wear interview attire.

Stephanie Legatos has an M.S. in Human Resources and Counseling from Northeastern University , and a B.S. in Sociology from U. Mass-Boston. She has 12 years of experience working with people in career transition and provides job search coaching, resume writing and career counseling at her office in Ipswich , MA and via telephone. Stephanie also presents workshops related to the job search process. For more information call 978-356-2939 or e-mail her at slegatos@yahoo.com .