Make the Most of a Job Fair | Career Management Alliance Blog

If you want the opportunity to meet face-to-face with employers, a sure-fire way is to attend a job fair.

Many organizations, such as CareerBuilder.com and Women for Hire, regularly host these events, so check their web sites for schedules. In addition, professional and trade associations, diversity and disability organizations, the military, and college career services departments sponsor them. And remember to check the career-business pages of your local newspaper, as well as the nearest One-Stop Career Center for information about other career fairs in your area.

To get the best results from these events, follow the 7 steps below:

Jot down the positions available at the companies attending the fair to make sure the job opportunities are ones you’re targeting. Also, employers often ask what job you’re interested in (they may have more than one available), and you want to know which ones they’ve posted.
Organize a list of the employees you most want to meet and then visit their booths early on while your energy is high. However, if you’re especially nervous, consider talking first with an employer you’re less interested in, just to break the ice.
Be early. Arrive near the beginning of the job fair so you can speak with employers when their energy is high. By the end of a 5-hour career fair, people are pretty tired and their interest has begun to wane.
Frame your answers to the expected interview questions. Develop a 30-second introduction (”elevator speech”) to answer the “tell me about yourself” question.
Arrange to have enough copies of your resume – on good quality paper – to leave one with each employer you’re interested in. And then bring a few extra, just in case.
Initiate conversations with others at the job fair. This is a good opportunity to network.
Remember to get business cards from the employers you speak with and promptly write thank you notes when you return home.