Career Fairs and Tips
Career/Job Fair Tips
- Research the employers attending. Learn as much as possible about the company, its product/services, etc.
- Determine which employers you want to visit.
- Bring 20-30 resumes.
- Bring a folder to carry resumes and a notepad for notes.
- Dress professionally.
- Prepare a "2 Minute Summary of Your Qualifications."
- Anticipate interviewing questions and practice answers.
- Prepare questions you want ask potential employers.
During the Career/Job Fair
- Go alone, if you go with friends or family walk the job fair by yourself.
- Do not assume a company does not have open positions in your field. Instead, ask what positions they are hiring for.
- When greeting a recruiter, introduce yourself and look confident by initiating a handshake with a smile.
- Express your interest by demonstrating knowledge of the organization. (Do research before going and read the show guide).
- Relate your skills, interests and experiences to specific needs of the employer.
- Relax speak slow and confident.
- Listen and ask relevant questions about company and position. This is not the time to ask salary related questions.
- Take notes!
- Ask the company what the next step is and how to follow up.
- Get appropriate contact information and ask for a business card.
- Conduct yourself professionally at all times, remember that you could be making impressions when you are standing in line or walking the fair.
After the Career/Job Fair
- Send a thank you card and reconfirm interest in the position and company.
- Within a week follow up with a phone call if you have not heard from them.
After Submitting Your Resume, It's OK to Call and Ask for Interview
Job seekers face so many quandaries, especially when it comes to the delicate protocol of asking for an interview after you have submitted your resume. Many of us have operated under the assumption that we shouldn't call, that it will rile the prospective employer who controls the process of reviewing resumes and then initiating calls for interviews. Yet, some career experts advise job seekers to go right ahead and call, after a reasonable period of time, and ask for an interview. No need to spend weeks fretting over whether your resume has fallen into a black hole.
How to Prepare for a Job Interview
There are two documents you'll want to have in your briefcase, easy to pull out. The first is your resume. Interviewers do misplace resumes. Or perhaps they've never seen it except as an html document, or got it pasted into an email. You may even want to have a few extras. The extras will be handy when your interview – unknown to you – turns out to be with a panel. Many times people have walked into what they believed would be one-on-one interviews to discover themselves the subject of a panel interview, or you might be interviewing individually, but with several different people in sequence.
The second document you want at the ready is a list of people who through work, volunteer work or school can speak of your abilities and your work ethic.
Tips for the First Interview
The interview is an opportunity to "sell" yourself and learn about the practice. It's a crucial step in acquiring a position, and one of the best opportunities to determine if you are making the best, or worst, decision of your career.
First, some general rules for the interview. You'll need to dress and act in a manner that exudes confidence and professionalism. Arrive rested: never schedule an interview after you have been on call. Dress well, with shoes polished, a clean, pressed suit for men, and comparable business attire for women. Avoid using overpowering perfumes or colognes. If a scent is used, it should be subtle: when in doubt, avoid it altogether. Bring extra copies of your resume, carrying it and your other papers in an attaché case: leave the backpack at home.
Sample Interview Questions
Prepare yourself for the interview ahead of time. Its easy to imagine the types of questions you'll likely be asked. Increase the aura of confidence about you by having well thought-out answers to commonly asked questions.
- Tell me about yourself
- Why did you leave your last job?
- What experience do you have in this field?
- Do you consider yourself successful?
- What do co-workers say about you?
- What do you know about this organization?
- What have you done to improve your knowledge in the last year?
- Are you applying for other jobs?
- Why do you want to work for this organization?
- Do you know anyone who works for us?
- What kind of salary do you need?
- Are you a team player?
- How long would you expect to work for us if hired?
- Have you ever had to fire anyone? How did you feel about that?
- What is your philosophy towards work?
- If you had enough money to retire right now, would you?
- Have you ever been asked to leave a position?
- Explain how you would be an asset to this organization
- Why should we hire you?
Jobs Coordinator
National Guard Jobs
Wyoming Workforce Services
USA Federal Jobs
Employer Support