|
Match, Meet, and Mesmerize at a Job Fair
Are you considering another trip through the career maze? Attending a job fair can make you feel like you are playing a losing game unless you have a clear understanding of the rules. Here are a few suggestions for making the most of any job fair, and gaining a competitive edge. GET A JUMP ON YOUR COMPETITION * Review the list of participating companies and determine which companies interest you the most. Pick several. * Collect information about these companies and do your research before you attend the job fair. Check out their Web sites and look for information about them on the Internet. * Match your skills to the companies' needs and job requirements. * Practice your fifteen-second introduction. Be sure to include your name, your key skills, and what you can do for the company. * Review your accomplishments and be ready to talk about them. KNOCK THEIR SOCKS OFF * Approach the job fair as you would a job interview. * Dress appropriately and avoid wearing too much perfume or cologne. * Bring plenty of clean, error-free résumés on good quality paper. * Know what you are looking for. Be able to explain what you can do and what kind of position you want. Remember it is not the recruiter's task to determine which job is right for you. * Relate what you know about the company and their products and services. * Link your skills and experience to what they need. If you visited their Web site, say so. * Enjoy the process; be positive and ready to talk about yourself. * Smile, shake hands, and introduce yourself. * Ask questions that demonstrate your interest. * Ask for the interviewer's business card so you can follow up later. Make notes on the back of the card so you can remember what you discussed. DON'T SABOTAGE YOUR SUCCESS * Don't bring your children. * Don't try to baffle anyone with smooth talk. * Don't bring up any past history you have with the company or its recruiters. * Don't grab a handful of freebies. Take one. ESSENTIAL AND YET NOT SO OBVIOUS * Visit with the smaller, seemingly less successful employers. You could easily miss a dynamic, little-known company that is a perfect match. * Talk to other job seekers. Exchange information about possible employers. Don't miss out on this hot source of possible opportunities. CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION * Sort through the company business cards you collected. Prioritize them for following up. * Contact recruiters and hiring managers by telephone. After small job fairs, follow up within three days. After large job fairs, follow up within five days. Remind them of who you are, when you met, and what job or position you discussed. * Express interest in meeting with them and offer to send them another copy of your résumé if they can't locate yours immediately. * Follow up, follow up, and follow up yet again. Mary Jeanne Vincent is the author of Acing the Interview tip cards featuring answers to the top 20 "killer" interview questions. Also included are tips for interviewing in the new economy, ideas for responding to illegal and trick questions, and suggestions for avoiding 10 deadly interview mistakes. Go to http://www.2bworkwise.com for free job search articles and to sign up for the free WorkWise e-zine. For information on individual job and career coaching or to find out about other practical, easy-to-use career tools call Mary Jeanne at 831.657.9151.
MORE RESOURCES:
Jobs City of Rochester (.gov)
Careers Washington State University
Careers Gwinnett County Public Schools
JobFeed NSW Department of Education
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Fallibility of Psychological Testing
Psychological Testing has become rampant across industries, more so inthe case of Information Technology, BPOs and ITES companies. Thesetests are used to 'throw up' personality profiles and competencydescriptions that would help companies recruit the 'right' candidate.
Job Offer Negotiations: Getting What You Want
You have worked hard at finding your next job. You have come through many obstacles and have reached your career objective.
Ten Things To Do When You Really, Really Hate Your Job
1. Begin focusing on what you want instead of how much you want to escape.
Taking a Survival Type Job Is Good For You.
Ugh! Arg! How can a survivor type job be good for me?I'm barely hanging on to what I found and at minimumwage. (I have been promised a ten cent an hour increasein one month).
Interview Skills That Attract Offers
An interviewer's mission is to assess your qualifications compared to the other candidates interviewed. Asking you questions is their way of accomplishing that mission.
Create Your Plan B Before the Layoff Axe Falls
In one short week, the axe fell at a number of companies and thousands of employees were without jobs. Hewlett Packard, Kodak, Ford Motor Company of Canada, PNC Financial and Kimberley Clark each had to make critical business decisions and lay off large numbers of employees.
Simple Tips to Move Forward on the Job, Part II
After establishing a trusting relationship with the safety officer, it would be helpful to document what was talked about with the safety officer. What kinds of information was shared? Was that person helpful? Was another meeting or on-going meetings scheduled? Did the frequent meetings taper off so that there was still communication, but on an informal basis?Did the soon to be job-changer find other community resources about the profession of a safety officer? Did he/she find out about local, state and federal safety, plant issues and how to find information quickly? Did she/he subscribe to newsletters, journals, and organizations? The job-changer needs to be an informed individual in order to enter the new world of a business, safety officer and to be able to digest the new information, easily.
Job Hunting Tips: Containing Anxiety
It hangs from the ceiling above your bed while you toss through the night hours. It waits inside the door of every employment office you enter.
Why One Word Answers are Bad News at Job Interviews
It takes a lot of time and effort to get invited to a job interview. Don't blow your chances by being misunderstood by the interviewer.
Writing A Great Resume, Part 2
TIP: Update your resume often. Be sure to add details of any training course, new interests and areas of responsibility.
Career Strategy When Your Boss is a Bully
Q. Right after I accepted my new position, the manager who hired me quit.
Growing Up On A Delaware Farm
Growing up on a Delaware farm was a wonderful and rewarding experience for me.I grew up in an area where a couple of dozen families in an area of about hundred square miles had farmed, married each other and been a stable community for centuries, along Delaware Rout One just north of Lewes.
Networking Mistakes and How You Can Avoid Them
'Fear of rejection' is the major reason why individuals looking for a career change hesitate to use networking as the most powerful weapon in their job search armoury. This is even the case with senior people who you would have thought anybody would be delighted to receive a call from.
Ten Healthcare Fields That Cant Wait To Hire You
Healthcare is one of the hottest career fields in America today. The aging and retiring of the largest population segment in the country, known as "baby boomers", has left the healthcare industry racing to find enough employees to fill the void.
Hiring the Perfect Fit Through ELance.com
Outsourcing has moved upward in the most-improved columns of efficiency and respectability through eLance.com.
How to Pick the Best Career for You: Part 3
Marketing-with-Intent precisely drives you to your target and with greater speed because you are using the right mode of transportation, an accurate compass and a clear vision of where you're headed. You'll differentiate yourself from your competition by using the right vehicle to uncover the best career for you.
Useless Resume Objectives
What's wrong with an objective on a resume? The problem with objectives on resumes is that a typical objective is self-centered and self-serving; therefore, it is useless. Instead of an objective, use a power statement.
Interview Tips - Ten Top Dos & Donts for Winning Interviews
In this day and age it can become increasingly difficult to even get your foot in the door and get an interview; once you've accomplished that you will want to make sure you continue to put your best foot forward and nail the interview as well. Unfortunately, as great as their skills, experience and education are; the interview is where many people lose a job opportunity to their competition.
Job or Career
At this present time I have a job. It pays some of my bills, and again I have a job.
Smokin' Up a Storm: Clothing, Smokers, and the Job Interview
You're nervous. You're so nervous that you crave a smoke.
|