Strategy for Navigating a Job Fair
So, you’ve been looking for a new position and thought you might try attending a job fair. Great idea! All those employers in one spot! I can finally talk to a person!
Having a strategic plan will help you navigate a job fair with ease and success:
Preparation
Prepare your 30-second Commercial/Elevator Pitch, "Tell me about yourself & the work you're interested in doing"
Tell Me About Yourself - Good Answer To This Tough Interview Question (youtube.com)
If possible, get a list of participating employers from the event sponsors/venue ahead of the event.
Identify employers you’re interested in then research what they do; if they have any openings that could use your skill set and experience or you would like to apply to. You could identify an interesting fact to develop a question to ask when you talk to them.
Prioritize employers: first – the ones you want to talk to followed by your next choices, and so on.
If you identified any specific openings, create your targeted résumé/s using the job ad’s keywords and phrases as your guide. You can come into the American Job Center to print off copies before the job fair so you can take them along with you.
Be sure to bring a pen and notepad. You want to make note of all the employers you speak to so you can promptly follow up with them. If you have your business cards, you can bring them along too.
Remember you can never go wrong with clean, neat, and odor-free; less is more for accessories including cologne and perfume. Dress for the job you want. And, SMILE!
Onsite “Working the Room”
When you arrive, take a few minutes to review the layout map if one is available, marking where your identified employers are located.
Give yourself enough time to visit each identified employer.
Visit companies following your prioritized list.
Give your targeted résumé/s for the jobs you identified to those employers. You may also choose to have some industry-relevant résumés. Note that many employers will most likely ask you to apply online at their websites. So be sure to pick any of their handouts or business cards so you’ll have their contact or website information.
Post Job Fair/Follow Up
Send a thank you email to each employer you spoke with or as many as possible. Here’s a short article along with a nice template and example, Writing a Thank You Email After a Career Fair | Indeed.com.
Thank them for their time
Remind them that you met at the specific job fair’s name
Let them know that you are interested in whichever jobs or their industry
Apply for available openings!
