In addition to understanding the fair's twist on resumes, you will need to hone your job-fair-networking skills to master the job fair. While job fairs are certainly great opportunities to drop resumes at many companies, they require more than just printing out fancy papers and leaving them with recruiters. You will have to interact with representatives in order to leave your resume, and you want to leave a good, lasting impression.
Networking at a job fair involves the process of getting to know representatives and hopefully obtaining their contact details. Job fair attendants need to go through this networking process because representatives want to know if they are good fits for the company. Showing that you are a good fit is hard to do on a resume alone, so you need to take it into your own hands to show that you mesh with the company representatives present at the fair. To get thing a good handle on what companies and fairs are coming up, take a look at JobConcierge.com where they have a comprehensive list of career expos and networking events.
Make sure that you seek out the company's senior employees and hiring managers at the fair before you drop your resume. Speaking with the other representatives is great, too, but you mostly need the influential representatives to remember your name. They will ultimately make the decisions about who to hire, so you specifically want them to remember that you are a great candidate for the position.
Additionally, before speaking with the representatives, you should have prepared a short statement (thirty seconds to one minute) about your background, why you would be a good fit, and why you are enthusiastic about working for the company. This statement does not need to be memorized, but you will need to have some outline of what you want to say to the recruiters before you go. You want the representative to know that you aren't just there to drop resumes at every stand, desperately hoping to catch any interview thrown your way. It would be a good idea to find a friend before the fair and practice your response to the question, Can you tell me a little about yourself? Other possible questions may revolve around your potential career plans or past work experience.
By researching companies before heading out to the job fair, you will also be able to show companies how you can help their business going forward. If you know from your research that the company is starting new projects in Japan, you will be able to let them know that you are fluent in Japanese, have worked in Japan before, and can lead projects there by being the first line of management in employing the native workers (but only if these are all true). This is just another way that you can leave a good and lasting impression by researching in advance.
As you plan to attend the next job fair in your area, be certain that you prepare yourself before going. At JobConcierge.com, there is a section on preparing for job fairs and career advice. Preparation is the best way to make sure that you leave a good impression with each representative there. If you're lucky, those good impressions (along with a strong resume) will convert your efforts into a new career.
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JobConcierge offers human powered job search service - Real people search 300 job sites and submit applications. JobConcierge job search optimization is also known for its extensive networking event list
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