How to be Dominate a Career Fair

AZ Event Connect of Phoenix reveals why you should attend a career fair and great tips to getting your dream job at a hiring event.

Let’s first start off with why should you attend a career fair? In a time before “click to apply” allowed you to look over a hundred different companies with your copy and pasted resume, job seekers would hand in their resume in person. The bad part about this method, candidates could only visit so many companies in a day, the good part, this allowed the interviewer to get to know you; you weren’t just a piece of paper. Thus, out of the midst of our streamline hungry generation, career fairs emerged. Career fairs provide you the opportunity to be placed in front of a variety of companies giving you the chance to state your case and make an impression, because, let’s be honest, there’s only so many ways you can format your resume in an interesting fashion.

Now that you have made the decision to attend this upcoming career fair, let’s discuss what you should do to prepare you for success and what you should avoid.

Introduce yourself to as many employers as you can. It’s true what they say, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Don’t let yourself miss the opportunity of a lifetime because you thought the company was something you wouldn’t be interested in or that you don’t have the right experience.

Prepare an elevator speech. The recruiters at these events will be meeting many potential candidates, so come prepared with a quick, 30-second speech about why they should hire you. Be sure to throw in something unique about yourself that will stick with them the next day as they sift through that stack of resumes they were handed during the career fair.

Take notes after each conversation to help you write your follow-up emails. By referencing a key component the recruiter was looking for in a candidate, a common hobby, or a memorable moment in the conversation when you follow-up later that day, you will have a better chance of them remembering who you are and choosing to call you back.

Bonus tip: Ask for a business card. This is an item all recruiters come prepared with to hand out at these hiring events and will give you a direct line to reach them later. This also shows your interest in the position and your professionalism.

Don’t interrupt others’ conversations by inserting yourself awkwardly. There’s a fine line between assertive and rude, learn to walk it with grace. Make your presence known with eye contact so the recruiter knows you are patiently waiting, then make your way in by adding to the conversation if it fits organically or by introducing yourself as the person before you finishes their conversation.

Don’t forget your resume. In fact, remember to bring multiple copies of your resume. Every interested employer will ask for one from you so come prepared. Update your resume to present only useful and concise explanations of your abilities and your most relevant work history.

Don’t let your nerves get to you. Recruiters are people just like you, they have hobbies, a favorite TV show, and most importantly they have emotions too. Take the time to build rapport, find out what you have in common before you dive into your rehearsed speech about yourself; it will make the conversation smooth, and most importantly memorable.

Remember these two most significant points:

1. Attend as many career fairs as you can

2. Prepare, prepare, prepare

This is something that cannot be stressed enough; prepare your resume, speech, research, attire, and career fair location. The more work you put into preparation before a career fair, the more you will get out of it. Career fairs are one of the few ways left to make your voice heard in the sea of candidates, so take advantage of every opportunity you have to attend one, even if you think you could be under qualified. Most importantly, enjoy the process of job hunting because you never know what door it may open for you.

Regardless if you’re a job hunter or a headhunter, let AZ Event Connect help you find what you’re looking for. For more information about our career fairs, please contact us at info@AZEventConnect.com and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram for updates. Happy hunting!