Career Fairs are not necessarily a waste of time

Career Fairs are not necessarily a waste of time A major part of job search is getting yourself out there.Whatbetter way than to attend a career fair. First of all, it is going to help you get more comfortable talking about yourself to strangers and builds a little confidence. If you aregoing to go to one, do some serious preparation. First, find out what companies will be there andresearch theones you need to seebecause they are on your target list. It sounds obvious, but, if you dont see companies from your target list at the fair, dont bother attending. Second, visit their websitesandsee what jobsthey have posted. Generally, companies that attend acareer fair have posted jobs. If you cant find them on theirwebsite, check Indeed. Third, hopefully you have found an appropriate posting, customize your resume for that one job and puttogether your stunning cover letter that explains why you want to work for that company and list some of your top qualifications for the job. Fourth, wait in line. Yes, you might have to. But use this time to meet other job seekers and share industry news. Fifth, with interest and enthusiasm, ask good questions of the recruiter at the table.2-3 mightbe all you have time for. You want to leave themwith a positive, interested and qualified mental picture of you! Sixth, ask when and how tofollow up. Well call you isnt good enough, ask when you can callif you dont hear from them.Nicely, but assertively. Seventh, followup, dontgiveup! Companiesare not giving away jobs at a career fair. Theyare there to source human capital. They are looking for the people who are better than the average bear. When I worked in HR, I representedthe company at career fairs. We had two boxes under the skirted table.One box was for resumes we would take back to the office and the other box, well, it is painful to admit Stand outforbeing the professional that you are.