How Can You Stand Out at a Job Fair?

Job fairs provide the perfect opportunity to connect with recruiters from numerous companies. When you approach these events the right way, you can build rapport, land an interview and potentially get hired. But with so many other candidates competing for limited positions, it’s critical that you stand out. Here are some ways for doing so.

Research the Companies You’re Interested In

Your first order of business is to find out which companies will be attending and which of those you’re most interested in. You likely won’t have time to research every single company, so just focus on the ones you’re most interested in. Check out their websites, blogs, social media accounts, etc., to find information. Then write down some key points that stand out. Which brings us to our next point.

Ask the Right Questions 

Knowing about a company should serve as a great conversation starter. For instance, you might say something like, “I saw that you’re passionate about responsibly sourcing materials. What are some specific ways you do that?”

It’s all about asking smart questions that stand out to recruiters. What you don’t want is to ask generic questions where the information can often be found easily through a search engine query. For example, you certainly wouldn’t want to ask, “What type of products does your company sell?” This shows you haven’t done any research and may not be genuinely interested.

Perfect Your Elevator Pitch

Once the conversation gets flowing, you’ll need to succinctly explain why you would be an asset to a company. The best way to do this is to have an elevator pitch that highlights your knowledge and skills to prove why you’re the perfect candidate.

Shawn M. Carter offers some great advice on CNBC. He says, “When talking to a recruiter, be knowledgeable about the position you’re applying for and how your experience relates, but use that knowledge to create a few concise talking points. This will make the interaction feel more like a conversation and take the pressure off you to memorize and recite too much information.” 

Bring a Stack of Resumes

Having your resume on standby is essential. What’s surprising is about half of recruiters say they’ve encountered job fair candidates without resumes multiple times. Once you’ve made a connection with a recruiter, you’ll want to be able to hand them a resume where they can instantly learn more about you, your experience, qualifications and so on. This also gives them access to your contact information so they can get ahold of you for an interview. Most experts will agree that you’ll want to bring a minimum of 10 resumes to a job fair.

Recruiters may meet dozens or even hundreds of candidates during an event like this. But by following these techniques, you can increase your odds of standing out and work your way to the top of the candidate pool.

Need assistance with your job search? Contact the professionals at Encadria Staffing Solutions.

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