How to use Job Fairs Successfully
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Job Fairs are starting to pick up, and Dice is running some nice ones, called Targeted Job Fairs. At a Bay Area job fair in January, 10 companies as showing up, and Dice has 82 job fairs scheduled for 2010 across the US.
How do you compete at a Job Fair? The competition can be significant, but you can help yourself stand out from the crowd with advance preparation. At AA-Careers, we have a simple six-step process to get ready. Don’t just go to drop off your non-customized resumes at all the booths! (If that’s all you plan to do, save some time and gas and stay home.) Plan to go? Here’s how to prepare:
First, research the companies that are going and pick your targets. Research the companies that are there ahead of time. Go to their websites and see if they have their openings posted. Pick a reasonable number to target, and get ready to spend up to an hour researching each one. It’s hard to do more than 10 in a day, and 3-5 is a much more reasonable target. For each company, you want to know: key product lines, recent news, and executive names. Try to see if you know anyone at the target companies. You’ll end up with a page or two of research for each company/job.
Second, if there are job postings on the web, read them to see what the hiring manager is looking for. Create a mapping of your accomplishments and skills to the requirements of the job.
Third, create a ‘mini sales pitch’ for each likely company/job combination. Write down a 90 second ‘thumbnail’ that you can repeat verbally describing why you are a great candidate for that position. You’ll use this in your resume and when you meet people at the job booth.
Fourth, modify your resume for each job type. The objective on your resume should exactly match the position you’re targeting. The executive summary should be a written form of your “mini sales pitch” for the job. Then choose the accomplishments and skills that most clearly match the job requirements. Especially at a job fair, the purpose of your resume is a sales tool for you – to get you on-site job interviews.
Fifth, dress and prepare as if you’re doing on-site interviews. Dress well and be well groomed.
Finally, practice your ‘mini-sales-pitch’. Collect your research and the resume for each position – bring a couple of copies for each – and put each in a clearly labeled folder. Keep them in a lightweight briefcase or folio. Remember to smile, and good luck job hunting from all of us at AA-Careers!
Ed is a career consulting and job hunting professional with over 50 years of experience in HR – career development, job hunting, and training in the US, Europe, and South America. Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/careers-articles/how-to-use-job-fairs-successfully-1782700.html
