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Making Connections

Preparing for employment fairs

Your campus employment centre is advertising an employment fair and you're wondering if it's worth battling lineups. Sure, there will be countless other job seekers, but you can land employment -- if you do your homework.

LINDA WHITE

[ 2006-02-01 ]

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PEACH
York

"Students love job fairs because it's a captive audience," says Linda Lugli, student employment advisor at Centennial Colllege in Toronto. "If you do your job well, you can get a lot of success out of a job fair."

The first step in preparing for the event is to obtain a list of the companies that will attend the fair and research those of interest to you. "Employers want to talk to people who are prepared," Lugli says. "Prepare one page on each, including key questions you'd like to ask."

Impress employers with the following tips:

- Take business cards and/or updated copies of your resume.

- Obtain a map of the venue and arrive early with a strategy to target key employers.

- Dress comfortably, but professionally.

- Carry your information in a portfolio or briefcase, with room to file business cards and a pen and notepad to take notes.

- Take bottled water and nutritious snacks.

Visit booths by yourself, not with a group of friends. "Bringing a group is like bringing your own camouflage -- you'll get lost in the crowd," says Jenny Peach, job search programs co-ordinator at York University's Employment Centre in Toronto.

Be prepared to answer basic questions. "Don't act desperate by saying, 'I'll take anything' or 'I don't know' when asked about your career goals," Peach says. "Prepare to discuss your skills, experience and career plans and demonstrate a link between yourself and the organization's needs."

Don't hang around booths hoping a representative will speak to you first. "Take the initiative and introduce yourself," says Peach. "Career fairs are networking events ... Be prepared to say hello, introduce yourself and shake the employer's hand."

Employment fairs can be valuable, even if you're not immediately looking for employment. "Students who are a year away from graduation are using job fairs to ask what they can do to ensure they're prepared for future recruitment," Lugli says. "You can use that contact as a springboard for the future."

Choose employment fairs with care. "It's important to remember that fairs are only one way to connect with employers in a job search," Peach says. "Only employers who are recruiting for multiple positions will attend job fairs, so don't think that the employers at a fair represent all the jobs available. There are far more jobs out there at other employers."

Finally, ask recruiters how best to follow up. If following up by phone, prepare your script ahead of time and remind the employer of the time and place you met. Make arrangements for your next step, such as meeting in person, forwarding your resume or calling in the future, Lugli advises.

If following up in writing, refer to the date and location of your meeting and express appreciation for their time and information. Reiterate your interest in the company, your qualifications for a specific position and inform them of your next step, which could be following up by telephone.

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