Career
Fair Success Lies in Effective Preparation and Communication
What is a Career
Fair, and why should I attend?
Meet
employer representatives and recruiters
face-to-face! Top employers are together in one
place at an American Career Fair event and
available to recruit, screen and even HIRE qualified
candidates on the spot... and you can be one of
them! Employers attending one of our events will
range from Fortune 500 companies to the some of the
nation's fastest growing local businesses! Positions
may be available in Outside and Inside Sales, Retail
Sales and Management, Computer and Information
Technology, Medical and Health, Banking and Finance,
Customer Service and Call Center, Entry, Mid and
Senior Level Management, Government, Administration,
and many more!
If you are looking for a new job, a career fair (or
job fair; the terms are usually used
interchangeably) is a great option to use in your
search. Attending a career fair allows you to meet
with employers at a convenient location, usually a
large hotel or conference center. Attending our
career fairs will give you the chance to one-stop
shop with a variety of companies in a short period
of time. Each Human Resource representative or
recruiter will provide information about general
career opportunities with their company as well as
specific details on current openings.
Its your choice. Spend your weekdays driving around
to employers and faxing resumes, spend your weekends
browsing the want-ads or visit us at one of our
career fairs for a few hours, and meet dozens of
recruiters on the spot!
Tips
♦ Dress Professionally - Handle this as
you would a regular interview.
♦
Wear comfortable shoes - Lines are frequently long and
you should expect to wait, especially for some of the
more popular companies or positions.
♦ Resumes - Bring at least 20 copies
of your resume to hand out to companies. Employers only
look at resumes an average of 10 seconds. Make sure
yours is leaving employers with the Hire Me!
impression.
♦ Take a portfolio/briefcase to hold
resumes and corporate literature.
♦ Arrive with a positive attitude.
Prepare a "30-second commercial" - Think about your
strong points, your goals, the company and where you
want to go within the company.
♦ Arrive early - Plan on extra time
for checking in.
♦ Research the employers you want to
visit; learn about them, the positions they're looking
to fill, and what type of candidates they are looking
for. The more you know about a company, the more you can
converse with the company representative and the more
memorable you will be.
♦ Be ready to ask intelligent
questions like asking how your skills might be utilized
within the framework of the company. Make sure to ask
the recruiter what he or she likes best about their
corporate culture, to better assess if that company is
right for you.
♦ Be prepared to discuss where you
want to work geographically (locally, New York,
anywhere), what you like doing, what youre looking for
in a job, what your most relevant skills are.
♦ The lines might be long or slow, but
don't fail to maximize this opportunity. Talk with every
company that seems to fit your experience and ambitions.
If you meet with 20 recruiters, at the end of the day
you will know 20 people by name; and they will know
yours!
♦ Get the interviewer's business card.
If you are called for an interview, you will want to
follow up with a letter that reinforces the points you
made and the facts you learned.
♦ Network - While you are waiting in
line, talk to others. You may hear about opportunities
that you were unaware.
♦ Be assertive and show initiative -
shake hands and introduce yourself to recruiters when
you reach their table. Dont make them come to you.
♦ Be enthusiastic. Smile and project
interest in the company.
♦ There will be many applicants
approaching employers at the same time you are. Keep a
positive attitude and concentrate on the benefits of the
experience.
♦ Explore all of your options. A wide
variety of companies will be participating. This is an
excellent opportunity to browse and indulge your
curiosity.
Meet
employer representatives and recruiters
face-to-face! Top employers are together in one
place at an American Career Fair event and
available to recruit, screen and even HIRE qualified
candidates on the spot... and you can be one of
them! Employers attending one of our events will
range from Fortune 500 companies to the some of the
nation's fastest growing local businesses! Positions
may be available in Outside and Inside Sales, Retail
Sales and Management, Computer and Information
Technology, Medical and Health, Banking and Finance,
Customer Service and Call Center, Entry, Mid and
Senior Level Management, Government, Administration,
and many more!
