Job fairs are a great way to meet potential future employers and to learn more about the companies in your area. Most colleges and high schools have career fairs and some even have virtual career fairs! Going to a job fair for the first time can be a daunting experience. It’s hard to know where to start and it can be easy to be intimidated at first. We put together a list of ways to prepare for a job fair to make the most out of the experience.
Research the Companies
This is one of the MOST important things to do while preparing for a career fair! Most schools or job fair hosts release a list of attending employers beforehand. Use this list to your advantage. Go through the list of companies and narrow down the ones that you are the most interested in talking to. After you have that list go to their site and see which employers have job openings listed that you are interested in. This list is your guide to navigating the job fair. Start with the companies you are the most interested in talking to and that have positions open you think could be a potential fit for you! Once you have visited these employers visit the remaining list of employers that you were interested in, but that didn’t have current positions open in your field. It’s important to try and visit these employers too because you never know when a position could open up!
Update your Resume
This is a no brainer, you want to showcase all your experience! If you have time beforehand, tailor your resume to the job openings you are interested in! This would mean bringing different copies of your resume to the fair specialized to the employers and positions you are interested in. Putting special interest in the individual employers and their job openings will help you stand out and show the companies that you are invested in your job search. Hummingbiird experts can help you to eloquently word and design your resume, with pro tips and tricks that are sure to catch the eyes of employers.
Bring a business card
This is a great way to stand out especially if you are in college. Specifically, for career fairs, having a business card with your image on it can be extremely valuable. Employers at career fairs meet hundreds of students in just a few hours. It can be hard to keep track of names and faces. Having a business card with your image on it can help you stick out in their memory and remember their conversation with you while they are reviewing your resume. If you don’t want to design your own business card Hummingbiird can help you with professional photos and business card design! Having a professional photo and a sleek card design can help you be a stand out at a job fair!
Practice your Elevator Pitch
When you’re shaking hands with a potential employer for the first time it’s important to make a great first impression! Practice your 20-30 second elevator pitch before you go to make sure you’re showcasing your best experiences and qualities. You can include things like your name, major, class year, school and any current jobs or projects you’re working on, at a career fair you can also tell them the type of positions you are looking for and when. For example,
“My name is Ashley and I am a junior finance major at the University of Finance. Right now, I am interning with Finance company and am working on this exciting new finance project where I am learning how to balance a budget. I’m looking for a local finance company offering internships for summer 2019!”
Get out the iron!
The second part of a great first impression is how you present yourself! Before you go to a career fair make sure to iron or steam the clothing you are going to wear, it presents a more professional appearance and is something students usually forget. Along with ironing make sure you groom any facial hair, trim your nails and remove any colorful nail polish, nude or pink polishes tend to be fine but typically avoid any loud colors like blue, black or green that tend to be against dress code in the average workplace.
We wish you luck at this semesters career fair! Don’t forget if you need help with a professional photo, business card design or resume enhancement the Hummingbiird team is here to help! If you liked this content make sure to follow our social media below for more posts!
