Transcript Employment Expo - Salisbury University

Getting the MOST from Job Fairs!
Produced by Virginia Cox, Ph.D., West Virginia University
Edited by Julie Levitt
Slide Number: 1
Job Fairs:
Big Benefits for YOU!
 Explore opportunities
for internships, co-ops,
and jobs
 Practice interview and
job search
communication skills
 Distribute resumes to
many prospective
employers
 Meet many recruiters
from different
organizations in one,
convenient setting
 Receive company
information and
business cards of
contacts
Slide Number: 2
Before the Job Fair
 Target yourself to the job.
Identify how your skills,
experiences, qualifications, and
interests match jobs
 Prioritize the list of employers
that interest you. A list is
typically available before hand.
 Know why you want to work for
an employer so you can explain
it clearly. (Research employers
beforehand.)
 Possibly volunteer to help with
the job fair (contact your Career
Services Center) it is a good
networking opportunity.
Slide Number: 3
Preparing for Job Fair
1. Prepare your resume.
2. Prepare your self-commercial (30 to 60
seconds)
3. Rehearse
4. Portfolio
5. Research
Slide Number: 4
At the Job Fair
1. Check in, then target the areas
on your floor plan to see who is
there and where they are
located.
2. Manage time well.
3. Meet first with recruiters who
are not at the top of your target
for employment (practice with
them before approaching your
top targets).
4. Watch time, and save enough
for your top targets.
Slide Number: 5
At the Job Fair
(Continued)
4. Introduce yourself
professionally.
5. Find out what
opportunities exist for
someone with your
credentials and skills.
6. Ask what entry-level
positions exist.
7. Ask about the company
8. Smile! Be polite, BE THE
“INFOMERCIAL”
Slide Number: 6
Pick Up Cards & Literature
1. Always ask for business
cards of recruiters
representing your target
employers.
2. After talking with them,
write notes you want to
remember on the back of
the cards.
3. Collect all literature from
your target employers to
enhance your knowledge.
Slide Number: 7
Take Notes!
Take a notepad/cell phone, and record
important follow up, such as to:
• Send additional information to a
recruiter or other contact
• Calendar follow up meetings
• Make follow-up phone calls
• Other
Slide Number: 8
After the Job Fair
1. Respond to recruiter request
immediately
2. Send thank-you notes to those
you meet with; use their
business cards for correct
spellings, titles, etc.
3. Your thank you can be by email, or snail mail and can be
hand written (if clear) or word
processed.
4. Send the thank you within 2448 hours after the job fair.
5. Refer to the location and date
of the job fair.
Slide Number: 9
Learn From the Experience
1. Did you have a positive or
negative experience?
2. What can you learn from
negative experiences?
3. Did the preliminary research on
employers help you?
4. Were you asked difficult
questions for which you were
not prepared? If so, write them
down, and prepare more
thoroughly for the next fair.
Slide Number: 10
What Else Can You Do?
1. Attend career and job fairs at other
locations
2. Use keywords to search for online job
fairs, such as:
– Nonprofit job and career fairs
– Online job fair
– Job and career fairs, (name your
career interest)
3. Bookmark web sites that are most
useful for your career targets
Slide Number: 11