We often have job seekers come up to our registration table and timidly say, “I’ve never been to a job fair, what do I do?” We love our new attendees, because they are often just starting out on their job searching journey. It’s a great time to hand out advice and help them feel more comfortable with the process. But, the truth is, a lot of your preparation for making a good first impression happens before the job fair, before you leave the house.
Here are some tips to making those recruiters put your resume at the top of the pile.
- Dress to impress. This doesn’t mean you have to spend hundreds of dollars on a new outfit. It also doesn’t mean you have to wear a stuffy suit and tie. But, you should consider what you would be wearing on a daily basis if you DID get the job, and then dress about two times nicer. For instance, if you work in tech, maybe a t-shirt and shorts is perfectly acceptable for daily wear. In this case, put on a nice polo or button up and tuck it in to some new jeans (no holes or heavy wear) and a pair of clean tennis shoes. Fix your hair and shave (if applicable). Think, “I’m going on a date and I really like the person I am going out with.”
- Smile. A pleasant expression and a smile are simple things. But they are very important to making a good first impression. Dale Carnegie said, “Actions speak louder than words, and a smile says, ‘I like you. You make me happy. I am glad to see you.’” Remember, these recruiters are human, and pleasant human exchanges are always a great way to make a good impression.
- Bring you resume. Often, we upload resumes to a database before going to a job fair. At Localwork.com we encourage you to upload you resume when you RSVP. But, having something in your hand to give a recruiter reinforces digital delivery. It helps the recruiter put a name to the face, and they can always go look your resume up later if they lose your paper copy. Redundancy is your friend when applying for a job.
The more important thing, though, is to show up. We have a high rate of attendance at our job fairs, but we still only get 50% of our RSVP’s to come to our fairs. With all the people out there vying for a job, why not come and give yourself a competitive advantage. It only takes a few hours out of your day, and the results might surprise you.
