Blog Post: Ask Questions to be Successful at the Career Expo

With the recent spike in unemployment, the dynamics of attending job fairs has dramatically changed.  Your success at these events depend on creating a structured job fair strategy and treating this opportunity as your first interview with the company.  So how do you create a strategy to ensure you are using your time at a job fair most efficiently?

Start by researching the companies that will be attending the job fair and make a list of the employers that you are interested in talking with.  Then visit the company website to find out more information about the employers and open positions.  Prepare a list with one or two questions to ask each employer about the company and/or the positions you are interested in that cannot be answered with the information that is listed on the company website.

When you arrive at the job fair to talk with the companies on your list, start with a 30 second commercial about yourself as an introduction to the recruiter or hiring manager.  Let the recruiter know who you are, what skills you possess and what positions you are interested in.  Then ask your questions you prepared ahead of time for that specific company.

This will demonstrate to the recruiter your knowledge of the company and the positions you are interested in to have a great conversation about your potential future with that company.  Be sure to take notes during your conversations and most importantly ask about the follow up process to scheduling an interview.  Thank the recruiter for their time in speaking with you and ask for their business card or contact information.

After leaving the job fair, follow up with a simple thank you note to each employer on your list that you visited at the job fair and be sure to reference the conversation you had with the recruiter.  Also add in your thank you note when you applied online making it easy to locate resume.

By asking great questions from your research and following up with a thank you note to each employer, will give you the best efficient job fair strategy for employment success!