- Kris Dempster
- Tuesday, February 27
How to Prepare for a Career Fair
One of the most important aspects in preparing for a career fair is to understand the purpose of the career fair. Most career fairs have a designated industry that they are highlighting. Other times, career fairs will have companies that offer a variety of different positions at their company. Understanding the purpose of the career fair will allow you to develop a good strategy to get your name known and stand out from rest of the crowd.
Here are a few tips on preparing for a career fair:
Know your objective – Your goal is to get your résumé to employers that have potential opportunities that align with your skills and abilities, passion, education and background. Before any career fair, you will want to review the list of employers and pinpoint those employers that fit your experience. Having this strategy will maximize your time at the event.
Research the employers – Once you have a list of employers, then you will want to research those employers that interest you. Check out their websites and view their careers/jobs page to see if they have an opportunity for you. If not, it is not a waste of time to talk to them, because sometimes they may have an opening upcoming that is not on their career’s page. This is also a good opportunity to check out their mission and vision statements to see if they align with your mission.
Get Your Résumé Ready – Before the event, you will want to get your résumé in order. To do this, review job descriptions that interest you from employers at the event. You will want to highlight keywords and emphasize any buzzwords on the job description within your résumé.
Prepare an Elevator Pitch – An elevator pitch is short description of your unique value and skills and abilities that you can bring to the employer. Additionally, having an elevator pitch is super important because it can demonstrate key aspects of your skills. For one, it can demonstrate your communication skills and two, it can present your ability to think on your feet.
Prepare Some Questions – You will want to brainstorm some questions to ask the recruiter. If you ask questions, it simply shows your interest to the employer and the job. Some questions might be; the specifics of the job that interest you, growth opportunities within the company, or even professional development possibilities.
Connect with Richland Library's Career Coaches - The Career Coaches have a wealth of tools and resources to help you create that path to your new career. Book an appointment with one of Richland Library's certified Career Coaches to get you on track for that new career.
Remember, you are not alone in this career change. Let us help you get to where you want to go!