Career Fair Tips

Career fairs are one of the best options to connect with employers, hiring managers, and recruiters. These events allow you to network with a variety of organizations and possibly land your dream job on your career path. To increase your chances of getting hired at job fairs, it's important to take these events seriously.?So, as we get ready to kick off the fall career fair season, I wanted to share a few key tips for making yourself stand out a career fair.?

?Research the prospective employers that are attending.

This part of preparation is crucial to success when speaking with recruiters. Knowing the basics about an organization will not only help you stand out amongst other attendees, but it will allow you time to focus your questions on the available job opportunities. Reading up on the organization’s news and history prior to meeting the representatives is a good practice.

?Prepare, choose the best format, and bring multiple copies of your resume(s).

Be sure your resume is well-written and, of course, free from errors.

There are several formats of resume, but the one that best highlights your key skill sets and education is the multipurpose functional format. A functional resume format doesn't follow the traditional resume's chronological order. Instead, it details your skills in areas such as project planning, problem-solving, organization and management. This type of resume might be the perfect choice for a private sector job.

Government resumes or curriculum vitaes should be AT LEAST three or more pages depending on your knowledge, skills, and abilities. Government agencies prefer a traditional chronological resume format detailing all your work history and skills used at each organization.?

If you have multiple job objectives, bring many copies of each resume version.?

Ask the company representative for a business card and NETWORK.

A business card will give you all the information you need to get in touch with this person and to connect with them on LinkedIn. Believe it or not, many candidates miss this step to stay connected with a prospective employer.

In addition to networking with company representatives, make time to talk with other job seekers to share information on everything from companies to job leads. ?

Dress in appropriate attire.

On the day of the job fair, wear appropriate attire. A general guideline is to dress for the job you are applying for. However, it's always better to be overdressed than underdressed. And always opt for conservative business attire as this helps you make a good first impression.

Find out about the application process.

Most companies’ application process is merely uploading a resume and answering a few questions online.

However, the government application process is quite different.?For instance, at the State of Illinois, you must complete their online application, attach your resume, transcripts, and DD214 (for military or veterans).

Regardless of private sector or public sector, it is important to know what to expect during any hiring process. This is one of the best questions to ask at a job fair to gain insight into their process. You can ask about the various stages they use as they screen job candidates, how long each stage typically takes, and the company's timeframe for filling any new position.

Job fairs can be a great way for you to learn about potential job opportunities, but only if you are properly prepared to make the most of the experience. One way to do that is to make sure that you ask questions and make the connection meaningful. All recruiters want you to land your next great job!?