What to Do in Job Fairs

Still unemployed? Hey, it’s not as if you haven’t tried, it’s just really harder than you thought it is. No doubt it is! Everyone is waiting to grab every vacant position. With the competition this tough, how can you get ahead of the others? Answer: take advantage of the job fairs. You can maximize your participation in job fairs to increase your chances at getting hired. Follow these suggestions.

Bring what you have to bring. Whenever you’re going to a job fair, you will always have to bring 1) pencil 2) pen 3) several copies of your resume 3) portfolio (if you have any) 4) supporting documents such as transcript and other certificates. You will be filling up application forms so think how annoying you will be if you had to borrow a pen every time. And don’t feel stupid bringing all those documents. Some companies do require all sorts of certifications so it’s better to have them on the ready.

Prepare for it like you would for a real interview. You never know how when there’s an urgent position. Sometimes there are on the spot interviews. So just be ready for some typical interview questions which usually include a description of yourself and your career goals.

Apply to the companies you are really interested in. Sometimes what happens is, you sweep the whole area giving everyone your resume to double the chances of employment. While this seems like a win-win strategy, it could also be time consuming, not to mention unwise. The companies’ booths in job fairs are usually so near each other that you’re sure to get noticed if you’re someone who gives everyone a copy of your resume. You might be taken as desperate or not so career-driven, but just a person who desperately needs a job. Narrow your application by applying only to companies which really offer your career interests. One way you can do this is by doing a research before the job fair so you already know where to apply.

Do targeted applications. Sure, job fair seem to be a hit or miss thing so you could just carpet bomb all of the participating companies with you resume. Still, you can maximize your efforts by doing some research on the companies who will be participating. Prepare your resumes to tailor fit their needs. This might take real effort to make a resume for each of the companies you’re interested in but this ups your chances.