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Hello dawgs,

I am attending a state wide job fair tomorrow in Columbus. I've never been to a job fair before. I have some strategies and tips from the internet, but I was wondering if any of you have some good tips from your experiences?

What should I expect? I am feeling optimistic because I can get out from behind my computer and actually speak to the people doing the hiring. Will the decision makers be there? Is there a high success rate at job fairs?

I knew I could count on you for some tips.

I am good with the nervous part. I rarely get nervous about things. I am more excited little a little kid. I am ready to impress them because I am tired of my resume going to a black hole when I submit it online. However, I will do my best not to reek of desperation

I never considered a letter of rec. The day before, I know it's too late for that, but that's good advice for the future.

I have been whitening my teeth since last Monday so I look my best for tomorrow. I am also getting a haircut later today.

Where should my hopes be? I don't want to walk away disappointed because I had unrealistic expectations, but I've never been to a job fair before so I don't know what to expect.

All great advice!

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you'd be surprised by what shows up at these things

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I cannot believe the way some people show up for scheduled interviews. Granted I have only hired for blue collar jobs, but c'mon. Make it look like you tried.

Everything Daman said is great. My other best tip is prepare for potential questions.

What questions are they likely to ask in your field? Nothing looks worse than "So what are you hoping to do?" "Oh, y'know, I don't know, whatever." (and yes, I've heard that exact answer from a recent college graduate)... Have answers thought out for the obvious..

What are you looking for?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Tell me about your education?
What is your experience?
Are you willing to travel?
Are you willing to relocate?

Daman might be able to come up with a couple more typical questions that you could be asked... some job fairs are pretty busy and they don't have a lot of time to go this in-depth but you need to be prepared to answer the obvious questions.

Second, have your own questions prepared... remember, you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you... Don't ever talk about money or specific benefits unless they bring it up... Don't get too specific asking about work hours and schedules and stuff, it makes you look like you want to work as little as possible..... have questions about the duties of the position they are looking to fill.. specific to the work you will be asked to do..

Lastly, is a list of participating firms available? It usually is. Find it, identify the firms you really want to talk to, the ones you might want to talk to, and the ones you have no interest in talking to.... then spend 10 minutes per firm that you want to talk to looking at their website, see some of the things they've done, where their branch offices are, what their core business is, any cool projects they've done recently or things in the news.. just some high level stuff so you can drop some buzz words into the conversation subtly connecting what they do with what you want to do..... write it down in the folio you are going to take and before you approach the table, read your notes...

You will need a folio, I recommend a decent leather one holds your business cards or in your case, resumes, pad of paper, pen, work product if you are taking any... look organized.... It also gives you something to put their business card in.

If you are talking to a potential employer and he says something about a project they just won or something cool they just did, don't be afraid to say, "Wow, that's interesting, I hadn't heard about that, I'll have to look it up." Then make a note to look it up..

Write stuff down, you will talk to a lot of people, you think will remember the cool stuff firms said and those who seemed most interested, but you won't. and they know you won't.... make notes, write stuff down while you are talking to them...

And good luck.

Listen ... seriously consider what everyone is saying to you and how it might apply to the next person you talk to.

Oh,, and one more VERY IMPORTANT thing

Get business cards, when you leave a booth, write something on the back of the Business card that will help you remember the conversation.. If that person calls, it will be VERY impressive if you remember some little thing that was discussed.

Or, if you have one of those little recorders, you can just talk into it and say,, Joe Blow from XYZ company,, nice guy, told me a funny story about a guy he interviewed that smelled horrible.

Get my drift

LOL Just read your response and I see you already covered the note taking thing.. it's really a smart idea.

I really like your thoughts on looking up who's going to be there, doing research, rank the companies you feel you NEED to talk to, the ones that look good and the ones that aren't all that interesting.

Questions.. You've covered about all the ones that they'll have time to ask you in this setting.

They may get into family a little.. What's your dad do, what's your mom do, do you have brothers and sisters, are you a close family. but I doubt they'll do that in this setting.

You want to know things.. Be prepared to ask questions about something you read online about them. Don't just SEEM interested, BE interested.

That means prep. As DC said Preparation will be your best friend.

Good luck

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Be prepared to ask questions about something you read online about them. Don't just SEEM interested, BE interested.

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Amen... if you can walk up to a table and introduce yourself and very early on say.. "I saw in the business journal where your compoany just won a big contract to do XYZ.. that's exactly the kind of project I can see myself working on." You're in... you'll at least get another interview.

I would add that it really, really impresses an interviewer if they call you back for a 2nd, and you say something like "I was really hoping that I would hear from your company, because I was reading about (project), and it seems really exciting."

A potential employee has to sell himself at every step of the way, and not only knowing a little going into a job fair and/or first interview, but following up on things you learn about each company so that you can apply it to a second contact is really impressive.

What is your opinion on thank you notes or follow up notes after something like this? and if you do send something, is e-mail ok or hand written and mailed note? I'm assuming young folks still know how to write by hand and stick something in the mail.

Great advice in this thread so far! Thanks guys!

I have looked over the list of companies and what positions they are hiring for.
I have found 6 that are in the Akron/Canton area (where I live) and have positions I want. I found 3 others that don't fit with my resume, but I will still stop in and talk to them.

Great idea about writing down what we talked about right after meeting with someone. That would be sure to impress them, unless they forget themselves what we talked about

My wife also had a thought: If there are two companies that I want to work for side by side, I should NOT leave and go to the next one immediately. I should walk around for a bit and then go back. What do you guys think?

Another question: Job fair is from 10-3. It's my nature to show up at 9:45 and chill in the parking lot for a while and then go in right at 10:00. However, do I want to be the first person a company talks to? Should I plan to get there around 12:00 or 1:00 instead? My dad always used to say he liked being the LAST interviewee because then they have time to think about you instead of immediately going on to the next person. Thoughts?

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I have found 6 that are in the Akron/Canton area (where I live) and have positions I want. I found 3 others that don't fit with my resume, but I will still stop in and talk to them.

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Talk to 1 of the 3 you don't want first.. use it to work the bugs out of your answers and get more comfortable.

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Great idea about writing down what we talked about right after meeting with someone. That would be sure to impress them, unless they forget themselves what we talked about

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By the end of the day, you will have talked to 10 companies, they will have talked to 150 people..yes, they will forget. But in the follow up, the fact that you remembered and went and looked the stuff up will impress them.

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My wife also had a thought: If there are two companies that I want to work for side by side, I should NOT leave and go to the next one immediately. I should walk around for a bit and then go back. What do you guys think?

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If it's close enough to overhear, as long as your answers are consistent.. no problem. They know why you are there. Don't go to one and tell them it's your dream to do IT for a major corporation and then tell the one right beside them that you always wanted to be an accountant.

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Job fair is from 10-3. It's my nature to show up at 9:45 and chill in the parking lot for a while and then go in right at 10:00. However, do I want to be the first person a company talks to? Should I plan to get there around 12:00 or 1:00 instead? My dad always used to say he liked being the LAST interviewee because then they have time to think about you instead of immediately going on to the next person. Thoughts?

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If a firm is down to interviewing 3 people, you just don't want to be the guy in the middle... first or last, both have their advantages.

In a job fair setting, having stood for 4 hours at these things before, you want to be early. After a couple of hours, everybody looks the same, every answer sounds the same and you just want to get off your feet and drink beer. Go early, follow the good advice you've been given by a number of people, set the bar high and they will spend the rest of the day thinking that nobody has measured up to that guy we talked to this morning...

I've been to job fairs and conducted interviews in the last couple years, I'm 46.. I can tell you that a handwritten note makes an impression that an email can't.

Be brief, like you said, appreciate you taking the time to meet with me, blahblahblah... then something specific that might help him remember you... and for the love of God make sure your grammar and spelling are right.

The job fairs around here have had lines around the corner waiting to get in a couple hours before opening. With the one my buddy went to he was there a little over an hour before the doors opened and he said it took nearly 30 mins for him to make it inside once the doors did open.

So keep that in mind when time planning. Things may be different where your at.

Went to a job fair through the college I attended my junior year.

One of the people asked me who their three largest competitors were. Basically if you answered correctly then they spent more time with you.

I'd do some homework on a few of the companies that through your research you could really see a fit.

At the very least it will give those companies a positive impression of you after your brief meeting.

I've been on both sides of the job fair process in the last 3 years, so I might have a unique perspective. My advice.

Know your audience...in this case, the company you're talking with. Large companies will expect you to know their operations, and you'll earn a ton bonus points with smaller companies if you've researched them. But this isn't the only reason knowing your audience is important; large companies will probably not be sending the people that will be doing the hiring, while smaller businesses most likely will.

ASK QUESTIONS! I cannot stress this enough. This will show recruiters that you are interested in their company. I've had many applicants just stand there as I explain my company's operations. Then, when I ask if they have any questions, they don't have any and leave. That won't get you a job.

My advice, spend more time with the smaller companies and try to get to know the recruiters at the booth. This is kind of tricky, as you don't want to seem unprofessional, but if you can get the recruiter talking about something other than work, it is a good thing. Ask about what they personally do at work, where they went to school, where they are from. You never know where these conversations can lead to. The more things the person hiring knows about you (and the more you learn about them for future interviews), the better your chances at getting the job.

Larger companies (like the one I currently work for) will take your resume' and ask you a couple questions about what you're looking for, if you are willing to relocate, travel, etc. Then, they will probably give you a grade and either pass your resume' on to the people that would actually hire you, or reject it.

Also, know the recruiting process for each company. Is just giving your resume' enough to be considered for the job? The company I'm at will take your resume', but you must still apply for the position online to be considered. When we receive you online application, we cross-reference that with your resume' and our notes from the job fair. How soon will they contact you for a follow-up? All good questions to ask.

Also, some job fairs allow companies to do more in-depth interviews on-site right after the fair. If this job fair allows this, it might be something to look into.

As far as "thank you's" - if it's a large company, I would say don't worry about it. Maybe send a thank you electronically if you get the recruiter's email. If it's a smaller company, I would definitely send one. My preference would be electronically, but that's just because it would get there faster, and you don't have to worry about it getting lost in the company's mail system.

Good luck!

Don't fart during an interview.

Back from the job fair. It was AWESOME! I have 4 interviews set up for next week!

Thanks for all your input guys. It really helped.

Now, what can I do for you all ?

I can't speak for everybody but my fee for consulting is 10% of your first years salary.... or a couple beers, whichever is easier.

I would just suggest, as others have, that you do real research on those 4 companies, and have some current highlights at hand to discuss as far as things that impress you about them, current projects, etc. Rehearse your interest points so that you can rattle them off in an inspired and interested manner.

Also, really decide how you want to respond to questions such as "What are your strengths and weaknesses?", "What did you dislike most about your last employer/job?", "What qualities do you have that lead you to believe that you can succeed in this position?", "What type of work week do you find acceptable?", "How long do you think that it will take for you to contribute to our organization in a substantive manner?", "If you do get this position, what do you think your biggest challenges would be?", "What would be your least favorite part of this position?", "How would your best friend describe you?", Why should I hire you over all of the other qualified candidates?" (a question I have used every time I have hired anyone, from the car business to the restaurant business) and so on.

Interviewers look for substantive answers that don't sound canned. Practice your answers so that you can answer naturally.

That's my best advice.

You are correct... do the research, think through your answers to questions... remember this, a lot of times they aren't looking for the "right answer" they are looking for your ability to think, your ability to express yourself, etc.. I ask every applicant this question, "If you could meet and have dinner with one person down through history, who would it be?" I've had answers from Abe Lincoln to Jesus to John Lennon... and I didn't really care who they said, it was the "Why" that I wanted to hear them explain without time to prepare...

And, one very important thing.. this is a just a real big pet peave of mine... if somebody asks you the question, "What do you feel is your biggest weakness?" or "In what one area do you think you need to improve the most?"... for the love of all that is holy DO NOT take a positive and turn it into a negative.. that drives up the freaking wall. "Well, I think I work too hard and care too much." Bullcrap, your only problem is that you are TOO perfect, REALLY? Give them an honest answer... "I don't think I have enough experience with XYZ that your company does but I'd be really eager to learn." or "I am not really comfortable speaking in front of groups and I know that I will have to do that so it will take some practice and some getting used to." Whatever, come up with something that you actually don't do well and address it.

Beer. And then more beer.

By the way a friend/acquaintance of mine owns an M&A shop here in Hawaii. Here's what he has to say on the subject:

Link

The only job interviewing tip you will ever need

November 2, 2012 By Matt DiGeronimo

I am the interviewer these days. But I remember when I sat on the other side of the table. Knowing what I know now, I am embarrassed even thinking of my previous job interviews. There is a MAGIC INGREDIENT to crushing any job interview. It is very simple, but 95% of applicants DON’T GET IT! . .. at all.

Listen carefully:

The interview is NOT about you! (Say that again to yourself . . . and again . . .again)

The interviewer DOES NOT CARE about your achievements, your practiced answers to strength/weaknesses questions, your awards, your promotions, your GPA, blah, blah. The interviewer cares about ONE thing . . the company. (Bonus secret for you . . . IF the interviewer and/or the company does care about this stuff. Run! You don’t want to work there. )

Demonstrate, sincerely, to the interviewer that you recognize and respect that you are both there to support the company . . . not your career . . . and you will place yourself a light year ahead of your competition.

How?

Research, research, research. Most applicants limit their research to a quick perusal of the company website, memorizing some financial data, and skimming the last articles written about the company. This is worthless and is more transparent than you could possibly imagine.

Read the last few years of annual reports. Digest the companies financials. Research their competitors. Research their products / services. Research the market for these products. Identify and critically evaluate the marketing strategies the company has implemented. Put yourself into a mind-set that you are interviewing to be the CEO. What would you need to know if you had to make the important decisions for the company. Do that!

Utilize your research and then passively take control of the interview. So few applicants make this type of effort, that most interviewers don’t even look for it. Make him/her see it, like a flashlight in their eyes. How? Be ready to ask very specific questions about the company (if the company recently acquired a smaller brand… .ask how that transition is going? Have there been any unforeseen difficulties) and then find an opportunity to ask them. Not at the end. During the interview. You will know that your efforts are successful when the interview feels more like an informal discussion between two colleagues sharing an after work drink. Use this moment, to try to uncover (or better yet, predict) current struggles within the company and what you would think would be a potential solution or how you could help remedy the situation.

The man/woman sitting across from you is looking for one thing (whether he/she realizes it or not), will you be able to add value (make the company money) from day one?

Stay in your own skin and resist the temptation to be someone who you are not. However, I guarantee you that if you keep this advice in mind, you will stand head and shoulders above the hundreds of other applicants that are so self-absorbed they forget why the job position exists.

Can I say my weakness in a work environment is youtube? haha

My weakness is that I need clear direction/instructions. At my last job, my boss used to get mad at me because I would ask too many questions. Sort of like that Seinfeld episode where the guy is installing the new kitchen cabinets.

Is that an ok answer to that question? For instance "my weakness is that I need clear direction and/or instructions but I am trying to work on it by ..... "

By the way...handle this information with caution.

I'm pretty sure I've told this story before here but....

My best friend had an interview with a Fortune 50 company where he was asked, "How do you define success?"

He said "bitches and money".

The three interviewers busted up laughing (two guys, one girl) and he got a call five minutes after the interview offering him the job.