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Standing out at a busy job fair
Photo credit: Urbanite
Dress professionally, have a strong handshake and act confident. These are some of the things that will help you stand out at a job fair.
The city is chock full of job fairs at the moment.
But success at these events depends on standing out amongst hundreds of other job-seekers.
We asked Nicole Williams, a career expert, TV personality and author, for advice on how to do just that. Williams explained that you need to ace both verbal and non-verbal communication.
Non-verbal cues
“People are making assessments based on how you look,” Williams said.
For that reason, it’s important to wear a suit and carry a professional-looking bag with a resume tucked into a folder. “You need to indicate that you’re taking this seriously,” she said.
“It’s also about what you can do to differentiate yourself — that means good posture and a strong handshake,” Williams said.
You must also bring a business card. Even if you’re not working, you can have a good quality card made that includes your contact information and the kind of job you’re seeking.Verbal cues
“It’s all about connecting and differentiating yourself from the crowd,” said Williams.
She explained that it’s important to show you can engage others, ask good questions and respond in a human way, and not with the same, canned answers they hear from everyone else.
“Ultimately people hire those they like and want to spend time with,” she said.
Follow-up
Oftentimes recruiters won’t give you their contact information, but if they do, Williams suggested following up in a couple of days, and resending your resume.
“If you contact them too early, the e-mail might get lost. Since they’re just getting back to their offices, catching up and work and reviewing the job fair,” she said.
While Williams said she likes a handwritten note, e-mail is fine. “If you wait too long, you lose momentum.”
Looking elsewhere
“There’s a huge hidden job market, so think of everyday as a job fair,” Williams said.
Because some employers are forgoing the expense of a job fair (and avoiding them for fear of being inundated with candidates), you must be willing to network everywhere. Try it at the dog run, the salon — anywhere you can go and meet new people.
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