Around this time last year, I wrote about a Wall Street Journal article regarding the uptick of attendees to job fairs as a result of layoffs caused by the economy. Since that time, job fairs have become even more crowded.

In Cleveland alone, local media have made a note to report about the long lines of job seekers, no matter the weather, looking for that one opportunity that will get them back into the workforce.

But, as many job seekers are finding out, despite the massive increase of job fair attendees, the number of companies hiring have remained the same, or, in many cases have dwindled.

Certainly, the usual suspect will always be there. For those scoring at home, they’re the financial services, the insurance companies and the places that are looking for salespeople, as well as the military. The problem with many of the employers, though, is that their compensation structure is based primarily on commission, a subject we’ve tackled previously as well.

Still the advice we gave last year is as true now as it always has been. If you know who will be at the job fair you’re attending, do you research. Continue to craft and perfect you “30-second commercial,” detailing your career highlights. And keep asking for business cards for follow-up.

But most of all, the first question you should always ask (Right after you introduce yourself, of course) is if that employer is hiring for your particular field. If not, thank them for their time and move on. You’ll usually end up in this situation if you’re in a traffic jam of people, and you unwittingly stop at a booth you didn’t mean to.

If you have any other job fair questions, I will personally be walking around at the Cleveland State University Career Fair on Friday, October 30th. Feel free to contact me directly at 216.288.6467 that day, and I’ll be more than happy to point you in the right direction!