12 Feb Secret #3: 4 Easy Ways to Steal the Show at the Career Fair
There are a lot of ways that you can do to set yourself apart at a career fair, but I want to touch on the 4 easiest items.
Last week I was able to attend my alma mater Brigham Young University (BYU) for their career fair as a recruiter for my current company. I had an opportunity to do this a couple years ago at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for a different company as well. It’s a really unique experience to be on the other side of the table at a career fair. Between my experiences as a recruiter and the many career fairs I attended as a student, I have found a few simple things that will help you steal the show at the next career fair.
Here are the 4 easiest items (the rest will be another secret for another day) that can help you the next time you are at a career fair looking for an internship or a full-time job:
Do Your Research
Recruiters want to know that you are truly interested in their company. If you can use ‘Google’ then you can hit this one out of the park. Having a brief understanding of the company will help you as you see if their company is a good fit for you, and it can help as you respond to their questions/comments.
Ask Questions
Just like a job interview, it is important for you to ask questions. It will help the recruiter know what is important to you and it helps you to know if the company is the right fit for you. They may seem like a good fit until you start to ask them questions, if that’s the case then you can move on to the next company’s booth.
Make an Impact
You only have 30-90 seconds to make the company hunger for your greatness on their team. Make the most of the time that you have by preparing a good ‘elevator approach’. You are in control of how well your interaction fairs. Leave the recruiter with something that they will remember you whether it is technical or extracurricular. I always made sure to mention that I was a BYU cheerleader when I talked to recruiters and they never forgot that I was the tall guy that looked like a basketball or football player, but who was actually a cheerleader.
Have a Killer Resume
Once you leave the career fair, the only thing that they will have to remember you is your resume. If the resume doesn’t stick out, how are they going to remember how awesome you were when you talked? There is a lot that goes into a good resume for me to cover here, but if you need help making your resume stand out, I can help you… I offer a resume sample (FREE), resume template ($10) and resume critique ($59). All of these are certain to help you make an impression long after you leave.
If you are still worried about career fair after preparing to implement some of these items, then take a deep breath, grab a friend and role play. It’s a little awkward to do but you will never regret role playing when you land your dream job.
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Keep on keepin’ on.
Life’s a garden… Dig it!
If you have any additional topics or subtopics that you would like me to cover, please contact me at josh@thehipsterengineer.com
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