Hello everyone! I am excited to share the Citywide Chicago Urban League Job Fair is happening on June 21st. Here are some tips on how to navigate a job fair like a pro! 🎉👩💼👨💼
1️⃣ Dress to impress: Dress professionally and make sure you're well-groomed. First impressions matter!
2️⃣ Bring your resumes: Make sure you have multiple copies of your updated resume to hand out to potential employers.
3️⃣ Do your research: Research the companies attending the job fair beforehand so you can tailor your conversations and show genuine interest.
4️⃣ Elevator pitch: Prepare a short and concise elevator pitch to introduce yourself to employers and highlight your skills.
5️⃣ Network: Don't be afraid to strike up conversations with recruiters and fellow job seekers. Networking is key!
6️⃣ Ask questions: Prepare thoughtful questions to ask employers about their company, culture, and job opportunities.
7️⃣ Follow up: Collect business cards or contact information from employers and follow up with thank-you emails or notes to express your continued interest.
8️⃣ Stay positive: Job fairs can be overwhelming, but stay positive, confident, and enthusiastic!
Good luck to all job seekers! 💪🔍📝 Don't forget to share your job fair experiences and tips using #JobFairSuccess. Let's land those dream jobs together! 🌟👍 #JobFair #CareerTips #Networking #JobSearch #SuccessTips
Jobcase and Cincinnati Works are teaming up to bring those in the Greater Cincinnati area a great opportunity for employment. The job fair is running today, October 31st from 10am to 12pm. That's two hours of prime networking and job seeking possibilities! Click here to learn more about the fair!
To really cement yourself in someone’s memory after a job fair, you’ll want to follow up with them as soon as you can. So why wait for that awesome first impression you made to fade before getting in touch?
Use the contact info you gathered to send follow up emails to all the reps of companies you’re interested in within 24 hours of the job fair. And if you haven’t yet, send your follow up emails as soon as possible!
Follow up emails should be short, easy to read and contain the following:
A quick “thank you” message. Let them know quickly that you appreciated them taking the time to speak to you during the event.
A memorable moment. Jog their memory a bit by mentioning something about yourself or something you discussed that gives them an indication of exactly who you are. The more specific you can be, the better.
The job you want. There may be many various positions open at their company, so let them know which one you’ve got your sights on and, in a few words, why you think you’re qualified.
Your resumé. Having a digital version in their hands is also a plus, as they can easily forward it to colleagues if they so choose.
So don’t play the waiting game with company reps! As time passes, their memory of you, your awesome elevator pitch, and the great conversation you had is fading away. Establish yourself as a truly memorable candidate by sending a follow up email today.
So you rolled through the job fair like a pro, rocked your elevator pitch and left with a deck of business cards from various company reps. Now what?
The job fair was actually just the first step in a longer process.You’ve gotten their attention, now turn that awesome first impression into a consistent pattern of professional, proactive behavior.
So what are the steps?
Apply for the jobs you want. If you haven’t already, seek out the open positions you discussed with the company reps and apply to them online. The company rep you spoke to may have loved you for the position, but he or she may not be in charge of hiring for that position. So to make sure you’re fully considered, go through the typical channels as well.
Send a follow-up email. Thank the rep for their time and let them know that it was a pleasure to speak with them. Make sure you mention your full name, something memorable you may have discussed, and what jobs you’re interested in to refresh their memory. Attach your resumé so they have a digital copy as well.
Remain responsive. The worst thing you can do at this point is fall off the map. If a company rep gets back to you, make sure to respond to each message within 24 hours (tops). Be sure to maintain a professional and courteous tone with each message, consistency is key!
We at Jobcase can’t wait to see our members turn this job fair into the beginning of their next opportunity! So, stay at it and maintain a consistent level of contact with the reps you talked to. Who knows? This may be the start of your next big career move.
Good morning, Chicago Job Fair attendees! It’s time to get yourself over to the University of Illinois-Chicago Forum today for the main event, running from 10AM-2PM. There’s going to be LOTS of employers ready to hire, so get PUMPED. This is your time to shine, so make sure you have everything in order!
Here are a few things you’re going to want to remember:
- A classy outfit. Remember, you’re going to be on your feet all day, so wear something you can also be comfortable in during the job fair.
- A stack of resumés. They should be error free, should contain all of your contact info and should be stored in a folder so they don’t get wrinkled as the day wears on.
- An elevator pitch. I know you’ve been practicing! It’s time to put that pitch to use and wow company reps with an awesome pitch that describes you to a T.
- A list of companies to target. There are going to be tons of employers attending, so make sure you know who to visit first with a list of your top companies.
- A list of questions. Keep the conversation flowing with company reps by utilizing the list of questions you wrote down when you researched their company.
- A smile! Show company reps that you’re happy to see them by flashing them a warm smile when you greet them.
So get excited and make your way to the job fair now. This could just be the day you get hired!
You want potential employers to know all about you, but how much do you know about them? Before you attend the job fair, select a few attending companies you’d like to work for and do a little digging.
What kinds of jobs do they have open? What’s their mission statement about? What do former employees have to say about them? These are all questions that can be answered in a minimal amount of time with a just little snooping.
As you uncover more information, you’re bound to have questions, so jot them down! When you meet with company representatives at the job fair, you’ll be able to spark up a conversation right away with a thoughtful question.
#EmpowermentToEmployment #JobFairSuccess
Want to know more about the companies who will be attending? Use this list to get started.
So you’ve entered the job fair. There are thousands of other job seekers surrounding you and hundreds of job opportunities to apply to. Now what? You need a game plan. The day-of is going to go by in a flash, so make sure you manage your time effectively by doing a little prep work to identify your target companies.
Figure out which companies in attendance suit you best by evaluating your skills and traits and comparing those to the skills and traits valued by that company. This is going to take a good deal of personal reflection and research on your part, but it will essentially help you to narrow down your search so you can effectively target those companies at the job fair.
So now you’ve come equipped with a list of companies to target that you know are a match for your skills, traits and values. When you enter the job fair, take a good look around and map out your route around the room based on where these companies are located. Now it’s time for you to set off and make the rounds! With your new game plan in hand, you’ll feel less overwhelmed and you’ll be more likely to find a job that makes you happy!
Forgetting something? Besides a smile and your winning personality, the single most important thing to remember to bring to a job fair is your resumé (and many copies of it)! Your resumé is going to be the only thing you leave behind after stopping to chat with a company representative, so you should do everything in your power to ensure that it leaves them with the best possible impression of you.
The company representatives you meet are going to want to know who you are, so make sure your resumé has all of your contact info on it. This should include your full name, email address, home address and phone number.
Scan your resumé for errors before printing it on crisp, clean paper and store your stack of resumés in a folder to avoid crinkling or folding the paper while you attend the event. Nobody wants to receive a wrinkly, error-ridden, resumé with no identifiable contact information, so keep your resumé pristine and clean!
Confidence doesn’t always come from the inside out! Did you know that dressing well can make you feel and act more confident, thus making you more hireable? A sharp outfit and a smile are the foundation to landing the perfect job, not only because you look and feel great, but also because of what your appearance communicates to potential employers.
Wearing a classy getup for a hiring event communicates that you’re invested, serious, and well prepared for the job market. You’re sure to turn heads if you pair that with a friendly demeanor and a polished resumé. So, invest in a new outfit and get yourself all done up for the job fair so you can catch the eye of your next employer.
That may be all the time you have to make a favorable first impression at the job fair. Company reps from your target companies are going to be fielding questions and having conversations with hundreds of eager job seekers during the job fair.
Catch their attention with an expertly crafted Elevator Pitch! The foundation of any good Elevator Pitch is to communicate what you do, what your goals are, and what makes you unique. You want to be memorable, so don’t be afraid to use bold and descriptive vocabulary to paint a colorful picture of who you are professionally. The final key to a truly captivating Elevator Pitch is delivery. You need employers to buy your pitch, but if you can’t convey the words you chose in a confident and heartfelt manner, even the best Elevator Pitch will feel flat and disingenuous.
Like with anything, practice makes perfect! Practice on your friends, family, pets— anyone who will listen. Practice early and often and gather as much feedback as you can from others. That way, when you get to the job fair, you’ll have your Elevator Pitch totally down pat and you can focus on using it to connect with potential employers.
So what’s your pitch sound like? Click “Reply” and submit your Elevator Pitch below to receive feedback, pointers and encouragement from other Jobcasers.