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Prepare
for the Job Search ~ Career Fair Preparation
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Career
fairs, also referred to as career fairs, are usually one day
events set up to connect large numbers of employers with job
fair participants.
Employers are there to recruit employees, so if you are interested
in looking for a job or finding out more about a potential
career, don’t miss out. Career fairs are typically sponsored
by universities, professional associations, local employment
agencies, or by a
career fair promoter.
Career
fairs are usually free to those seeking employment. These fairs
are held at local universities, hotels, and conference centers.
To find out about upcoming events check your campus career
center, the radio stations, and newspapers. The National
Business Employment
Weekly’s event calendar lists many such events. Some fairs
are targeted for entry-level, technical, education, or other
specified
groups and may be advertised through your campus clubs and organizations. |
What
can I expect?
You
can expect anywhere from 25 to 350 employers represented at different
booths or tables. Employer representatives are anxious to give
away their organization brochures and other promotional materials
(key chains, pens, notepads, etc.) they have brought with them.
Their job is to meet as many attendees as possible and promote
their organizations to YOU. It is likely that the table you want
to approach will be crowded – be patient and observe. You can also
expect a carnival type atmosphere with lots of background noise
with which you will have to compete.
Sometimes
fair organizers will offer formal group presentations simultaneous
to the job fair. This is a great way to learn more about a specific
topic and also have a chance to introduce yourself to an employer/presenter
and get some individual attention.
Benefits
of a career fair
Consider
a job fair to be one-stop shopping. What a luxury to have the opportunity
to talk to numerous employers at one time and place. Some direct
benefits of attending a career fair include:
- An
efficient and economical way to make contacts
- Learning
more about specific industries, careers, and organizations
- Actually
talking to a company representative instead of just mailing in
or submitting an on-line resume
- Asking
someone in the field for feedback about your resume, education,
or experiences
- Making
a contact within the organization
Of
course, if a career fair is such a good deal then there may be
hundreds to thousands of other people just like you trying to talk
to employers.
This is why it is so important to BE PREPARED to get the most out
of attending a career fair.
Some
fairs allow time for employers to schedule interviews on-site,
but many use the time to screen applicants or collect resumes to
bring back to their organization. It is ideal to be able to engage
the recruiter in a conversation so that they will remember you
and your skills. Do not be discouraged if this does not happen;
there can be numerous people to compete with in this setting. Use
your time to collect valuable company information via conversation
and distributed materials so that you can write an incredibly well
informed cover letter stating your interest in an organization.
The
career fair can be separated into three stages: 1) Before 2)
During 3) After
Next:
Before the Fair
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