It’s no coincidence that with an ugly economy, the landscape at career fairs has changed drastically. And the number of prospective employers is now inversely proportional to the job fair attendees. And if you’re looking to make a career change, you’re likely to find yourself going up against both the experienced and fellow career transitioners.
It sounds pretty daunting. This means, of course, you’ll have to work hard than ever to gain and keep the recruiter’s attention.
You always want to rise above. Here are some tips on to try and get the edge.
- Create a 30-second “commercial” – Some experts will say one minute, but in a room full of people, the recruiter is likely going to not have the patience. Just like a politician, come up with key talking points about what you’re looking for and how you can fit into their organization.
- Research is king – If you’re able to get a list of companies ahead of time, take a look around the Internet for the ones you’re especially interested in.
- Don’t be discouraged by the “Go to the Website” people – You will run into these folks, generally representatives of larger organizations that are only there to promote the jobs page. After the event, try and do some follow-up research on both the jobs they have available and a person within the organization that you can ask for further information.
- Grab cards – Don’t just go for the swag that companies will undoubtedly have displayed. You want to take a business card with the recruiter’s contact information. Also, take a notepad so you can write their name down.
- Follow up – It’s the most important part of going to a job fair. 90 percent of the time, people who go to job fairs, plunk down their resume and hope and pray to God that they will get a call. Get in touch first! Using the contact information you gather, get in touch with the person you talked to, thank them for their time and inquire about where they are in the job search process.
Also, remember to dress professionally, have plenty of copies of your resume, and always greet the recruiter with a firm handshake.
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