Guest Author - Dr. Taffy Wilkins Wagner
When you are unemployed, you should begin planning to attend a job fair a couple of months in advance. Usually they advertise several weeks to a month in advance in the local newspaper and on billboards that there will be a job fair at a specific location. Now is the time to get a plan of action.
The first thing you should do is get your resume written if you do not have one. Make sure it is accurate with skills, qualifications and education level. Be sure to have enough copies on hand. You do not want to attend a job fair and not have enough resumes.
After you have prepared your resume, find out what companies are going to be at the job fair that are in your field of expertise. If you are in a metropolitan city such as I am, there can be several different job fairs. Such as, there could be one strictly for technical and computer individuals, then another one for administrative and service type of careers. Investigate so that you do not attend a job fair that will not be beneficial to you.
Arrive at the job fair early so you get enough time to see each company you choose. Professionalism is the key. You do not want to show up at the job fair unorganized and dressed inappropriately. First impressions go a long way. Make sure you address the person appropriately and shake their hands upon meeting them.
There is not a lot of time for interviewing when at job fairs unless the company’s personnel extends that time. If they do, take advantage of the opportunity you are receiving. Speak clearly and answer there questions succinctly. If not, then ask for an application, employer’s information and the business card of the person you came in contact with.
There is a chance you can spend a whole day at a job fair making contacts and leaving resumes. If you are unorganized, you can leave a job fair very disgusted and feeling as if you wasted your time. Seize the opportunity to make a very good impression where the company will want to call you back.
When you return home at the end of the day, be sure to send a thank you card to the interviewer and people you met at the job fair. Little things such as this will set you apart from the hundreds of people they saw during the day.
