There are a number of things you should do before attending a career fair in order to ensure you are well-prepared and present yourself as professionally as possible:
» Be sure to confirm the date, time and location of the career event.
» Review the list of employers attending the career event and thoroughly research those you are interested in meeting.
» Prepare a résumé tailored to each employer you’re planning to approach.
» Create a business card and have copies ready.
» Prepare and practice your 30-second networking (introduction) statement.
» Decide what you will wear to the career event prior to the day (professional business attire is a must).
Networking
You’ve often heard the expression “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” There is no better venue than a career fair to demonstrate this, because employers may meet hundreds of job seekers in a matter of hours. Making a strong first impression with a number of employers will go a long way in helping you to create a solid professional network.
Networking is about communicating your unique selling points in a memorable way. You can do this by creating a personal “pitch” or networking statement that highlights your skills and experience in an interesting way.
In order to create an effective networking statement, and thereby make a strong first impression, you have to be aware of a few key things:
Know your target market: Research each employer attending the event and review current industry trends in your chosen field. Use this information to impress the employers you meet at the career fair.
Know what you have to offer: It is important you not only know what skills, knowledge and experiences you have to offer a potential employer, you also have to know what skills, knowledge and experiences employers are looking for.
Know the four elements of an effective networking statement:
1 Be specific: Employers are looking for people who want to work specifically for them, in the role they have to offer. You need to make them feel that theirs is the only company you are targeting, so do your homework and be prepared to tell them why you want to work for them.
2 Be relevant: As you research a company, seek to understand the types of backgrounds, skills and attitudes they look for in their recruitment strategy. When communicating your selling features, make sure you focus on information that is relevant to them.
3 Be professional: You will be nervous. In fact, you should be nervous. If you are so cocky that you don’t feel any job search jitters, then you need to re-evaluate your attitude—this is serious business! You may be worried that you’ll stammer, but your
nervousness can actually give you an edge in performance. Preparation is essential, because when you are nervous being face-to-face with the recruiter for the job you really want, you have a higher chance of messing up your pitch. Practice what you are going to say in advance. Learn to say it naturally without notes. It should sound like you did not write it down and memorize it.
4 Be brief: You only have about 30 seconds to make a first impression. When constructing your personal networking pitch, you need to keep it to about 70 words or fewer.
Your networking pitch should answer three questions:
1. Who am I?
2. Why do I want to work for you?
3. Why should you hire me?
Good questions for employers
» What skills and abilities do you need to be considered a strong candidate to work for your company?
» What kind of employment experiences are you looking for?
» What additional skills, such as language or software skills, does your organization consider to be particularly valuable?
Best of luck! CO
Final Tips! »
Follow the rules of good hygiene and dress professionally! Dress exactly as you would for a job interview.
Place your documents in a professional zip-up portfolio or twin pocket portfolio. You want to be able to easily access your tailored résumés when passing them over to employers, and to easily collect any company information/business cards employers offer you.
When you are conversing with the employer, LISTEN more than you speak! Ask questions to help you to understand their needs and priorities.
Approach employers on your own, not as part of a group. If an employer is talking to someone else, wait patiently. Make sure you’ve got their full attention when you make your first impression.
Bring a pen and paper with you in case you need to make notes during the conversation with the employer (strategy: after each meeting with an employer, immediately go to a quiet area to record the discussion—you won’t remember the details of each conversation at the end of the fair).
By Kerri Zanatta-Buehler
Kerri Zanatta-Buehler, B.A., B.Ed, MA, Employment Development Specialist, The Career Centre, Sheridan Institute ofTechnology & Advanced Learning
