The second of two job fairs this year jointly sponsored by WMUR-TV and the NH Department of Employment Security is being held Thursday August 27 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. 150 organizations are scheduled to be there allegedly looking to fill 1100 open positions. A large turnout is again expected as there was in April, but this time the venue should be better able to accommodate the crowd.
Job fairs like this one can be worth your time to attend. But to get the most out of going, some preparation is necessary so that you can maximize the experience. Approach this like it is a hard day at work. How you conduct yourself may make the difference between getting a job or not. Here are some do’s and don’ts that I recommend you consider prior to going to the fair.
Know who the employers and recruiters are who will be present at the fair. The WMUR site has a list at http://www.wmur.com/money/20264097/detail.html. Plan on visiting primarily those booths that matter to your hiring and career goals.
Have a well prepared resume and elevator pitch ready to present to recruiters. Both should reflect a professional job candidate who knows him or herself well and who can answer the question, “Why should we hire you?” What you do not want to do is to just drop off a resume and move on.
Research the companies, and if possible the open positions, that are available. Know the economic status and workplace culture of the company you plan to visit and be prepared to speak with their representatives in a way that shows you have done your homework.
Ask the recruiters intelligent questions that show you know about the company and that you care enough to have researched them. However, now is not the time to ask about salaries and benefits.
Display a professional demeanor. Refer to the recruiter by name and have good eye contact and a firm handshake. Dress appropriately. And at the risk of sounding like your mother, don’t fidget with your hair or say “um” and “you know” a lot, and don’t forget to smile. These things do matter!
If you are recently out of college, be prepared to talk about your GPA. If it is less than 3.0, then hopefully you can refer to a higher GPA earned in your major.
Even if a company is hiring outside of your field, it may still be worth networking with the recruiter to see if they represent a company that may be worth tracking for future opportunities.
At the very least, this is a time to practice your presentation with a recruiter. Do not let them intimidate you. They actually like speaking with potential employees. That is why they are there.
Use the time at the fair to network, network, network… and not only with just recruiters. Mix it up with other job seekers and any other professionals with whom you come into contact.
It is not a good idea to go on with recruiters about how bad your last job was or the philosophical issues you had with previous colleagues. Also, don’t take the stance of being desperate even though that is probably how you feel. Saying that you’ll do “… anything, anything, just please give me job!” rather than presenting yourself as qualified for something specific is not good form.
Even though we seem to be entering the mixed blessing of a jobless economic recovery do not be too discouraged to pick yourself up and throw yourself into this and other job fairs. I’ll be there to do resume reviews along with a workshop entitled Career Transitions from 2:30-3:25. I hope to see some blog readers there.
Best of luck to you!
