25 REASONS TO GO TO JOB FAIRS, REGARDLESS OF AGE
1) Get out of the house
It’s
become too easy to just job search from your computer and it’s easy to
forget that there really are many effective ways to progress in your job
search outside.
2) Kick start a dormant job search
Sometimes habit and routine are not the best thing. Going to a job fair should be a welcome change of pace.
3) Meet company representatives who are normally hard to reach
Some
companies will send people who actually do have an impact on hiring
decisions, access to whom would normally be blocked at their corporate
reception desk.
4) Meet company representatives in a less-formal setting
There’s
a big difference between the atmosphere of a job fair and sitting
across someone in an office. Company rep.s come with that in mind, and
you need to take advantage.
5) Practice your elevator pitch
Just
like the 30 seconds you might have to impress someone in an elevator
ride, your chance to talk with a company rep. might be very short if
there are a lot of people in line behind you at the fair, so you need to
impress quickly.
6) Build your self-confidence with company representatives
By
meeting with company rep.s in the informal setting of the job fair,
even for only a minute or two, you’ll break the ice and become more
comfortable sitting across them in an office.
7) Make a better first impression
As you become more comfortable and your self-confidence grows, you’ll make a better first impression as the fair goes on.
8) Research companies
Learn
which companies you might want to work at, which open positions are
relevant, etc., anything that can help you adapt your resume to align
better with company needs.
9) Submit resumes and apply
If you think your resume will impress, submit it.
10) Get resume feedback
If
you don’t think your resume will impress, perhaps because it hasn’t
impressed others at the fair, ask for feedback from company rep.s. If
you’re lucky, the fair may also have local resume writers to help you.
11) Get contact information from company representatives
This
could be to send them an improved version of your resume – based on
feedback/better understanding of company needs – instead of the ones you
brought to the fair, to schedule a job interview, or perhaps even to
help a friend’s job search with a referral.
12) Get free stuff from company representatives
In
hopes of attracting the best job seekers, Google is famous for giving
out free stuff or schwag at their recruiting booths: pads, pins, pens,
magnets, yoyos, you name it. And people love taking it home too, and not
just as a sign that the going to the fair was worth it.
13) Learn how industry players present themselves
Critical
for students and first-time job seekers. This might be your first
introduction to certain terms, expressions, techniques and more.
In
the case of university job fairs, company recruiters want exposure to a
new generation of potential candidates who many have never heard of
them before.
14) Learn how your industry has changed
Critical
for people who have been out of the job market for 5 years or more.
Which companies have fallen out of favor? Which companies are hot? Who’s
getting hired there?
15) Learn about the demand for your current skillset
By
browsing the open positions and talking to recruiters, judge where your
current skillset would most be appreciated and if there are there
skills in high demand that you don’t have but could learn quickly enough
to apply.
16) Learn about other industries where your current skillset is in demand
If
you’re considering a career change or just if you’re open to one,
recruiters and other company rep.s at the fair can make suggestions for
positions they’re trying to fill.
17) Learn about new kinds of opportunities you would have never imagined otherwise
Regardless
of whether company rep.s make suggestions, keep your eyes and ears open
for anything new and interesting, especially if there’s demand for it
i.e. more than one company has a related opening.
18) Learn about latest job market trends
Besides which skills are currently in demand (and which aren’t), which techniques are working? Which techniques no longer work?
Ask
company rep.s what kinds of candidates are impressing them most, ask
them how the market has changed in the past year and how they think it
will change in the coming year.
19) Compare companies and go deeper
Company
representatives are supposed represent everything the company is about.
The first impression they make on you should have an impact on you
deciding whether to spend your precious time chasing them for a job.
After meeting the different companies at the fair, choose to go back for
a second impression at the companies that deserve more of your time.
20) Network and make contacts
One
of the most under-used job fair tactics is to talk to other job seekers
at the fair! Share tips and feedback, and look for ways to help each
other out.
21) Meet your competition
Depending
on what kind of fair you attend and the kind of position you’re aiming
for, the people in line with you may actually be the ones applying for
the same openings. No need to be sneaky or manipulative, but if you have
a great idea to stand out and impress a certain employer, you might
want to keep it to yourself. That doesn’t mean you can’t learn from
them, though.
22) Prepare questions and get answers
Take
advantage of the quantity and different kinds of people at the event.
Prepare some questions in advance that could affect the direction of
your job search, then go out and ask people. Take a survey if that will
help. Be bold.
23) Take in seminars and classes
In
recent years, more and more fairs have begun offering free talks by job
search experts and coaches, giving advice on how to get results now.
24) Save time in one location
While
not all job fairs are created equal in what they offer job seekers,
they do all offer job seekers many of the above possibilities in one
single location, saving you a lot of time and effort.
25) Get inspired
If
you try to do even half the things on this list at your next job fair, I
guarantee that you’ll get new ideas that will help move you forward to
your next job, making it all worth it.
check out our Military-Civilian Job fair category
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