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https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/what-is-a-job-fair
How to prepare for a job fair
These tips can help you get the most out of your time spent visiting booths and talking to employers at a job fair and get the best results.
1. Practice stress-reducing activities beforehand
If you’re nervous, remember that the employers are there because they want to hire someone. You could be their perfect candidate for an important job, and you now have the opportunity to show them your skills. Take deep breaths and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, fists on your hips, chin high and shoulders back to increase confidence.
2. Dress professionally
Look for any information about the required attire. If job fair provides none, it is smart to assume that business casual attire is appropriate.
3. Register for the event, if possible
Most job fairs have organizers who check everyone who visits the event and keep records of them. Not only is registering professional, but employers who lost their contact information could get it from an organizer.
4. Practice your interactions
Work on handshakes, eye contact and how you will briefly explain who you are and what kind of work you’re looking for. It can be helpful to prepare a brief elevator pitch
to use when introducing yourself.
5. Come with materials
Bring copies of your resume and business cards. Consider also bringing a pen and paper for taking notes as well as breath mints as you will be talking to many people throughout the day.
6. Be ready to interview
While on-the-spot job interviews aren’t guaranteed, they can happen. Be prepared to do a short interview if an employer asks. Before entering the fair, make time to think about your responses to common interview questions
7. Review and update your resume
It helps to have several different people look it over before the fair. Include strong, direct language. If you are interested in multiple positions or companies, consider making resumes targeted to each. For instance, if you would like to work as either a tutor or in human resources, you could create separate resumes specialized toward showing your skills and experience in each of those areas.
8. Consider bringing a friend
If you have a friend looking for a job, think about asking them to join you at the event. This can help you feel more comfortable and confident.
Tips for going to a job fair
Once you’ve arrived at the fair, you should be prepared to begin meeting employers and other attendees. Prioritize taking notes on the people you meet and talk to. Remembering a conversation can help build rapport and make future contact easy.
Personalizing follow-up contacts with the notes you take can be helpful. For example, let’s say that during a conversation with the hiring manager, you and the manager casually discussed a common interest in hiking.
When you email the manager after the event, it could be a good idea to briefly mention your conversation. The manager may have talked to many promising candidates, but the personalized email might remind that manager of who you are and the conversation you shared.
Here are some tips for how to approach recruiters at a career fair.
Be open
Show interest when speaking with employers, even if you aren’t necessarily looking to work for them. Your opinion may change over time and someone at the booth could know an important person in your ideal company.
Respect the recruiters’ time
Provide direct answers and ask thoughtful questions
. Ideally, be the one that ends the interaction to show courtesy. They have to meet many possible hires. If the booth and the people running it are not busy, feel free to stay until it is.
Collect and keep business cards
The contact information is often useful and you’ll show employers that you care about what they do.
Talk to people
Make conversation with other job seekers when appropriate. Someone you talk to could give you a helpful tip or provide an important connection.
After visiting a job fair
It is ideal to leave a job fair with plenty of notes on who you talked to, what the conversations were like and whether any of them committed to a next step. From there, consider creating a schedule for when you will contact each potential lead. It is wise to contact your preferred job prospects first, to keep your last interaction fresh.
It’s important to have the right expectations when attending a job fair. You won’t be the only person looking to get hired, but there won’t be as much pressure, either, compared to a scheduled interview. Rather than aiming to secure a job by the time you leave the fair, focus instead on strengthening your network and job prospects.
Keep in mind that a job fair is just one of many things you can do to raise your odds of getting hired. Investing in your career is something to feel proud of, so consider attending any career fairs coming soon to your area.
