How to Spend Your 5 Minutes at a Job Fair
Confused about how to use your few minutes with an employer at a job fair? Not sure how to make that unforgettable impression?
First, what not to do…
Before I dive into how I would spend my five minutes, let’s cover what not to do. It’s the biggest mistake people make when they go to job fairs.
It’s the same issue I covered in The Number 1 Reason Why You Do Not Get Hired. It’s the same reason you don’t get called back after a job fair.
It’s spending your time trying to get out everything there is to know about you, what you think are the highlights of your career (or studies), what you think are your best attributes, and what you think are your most desired skills.
Big mistake.
You spend too much time sharing and don’t know whether that’s what the employer needs to know!
How do you know what the employer seeks?
Try this…
Waltz up to the booth (or person or whoever looks like someone who knows what they’re doing), and say…
“Hi. My name’s Frankie Fabulous. I’d love to share a little bit about myself and learn about your company. Before I do that, could you tell me what you’re looking for in an entry-level candidate?”
If you’re a professional…
“Hi. My name’s Susie Sensational. Could you tell me what the most important skills are in [insert whatever position it is you’re looking to attain]?”
Give them a minute or two to share that insight with you. They’ll go on with…
“Well, we’re looking for somebody with this kind of background or these kind of skills or these kind of traits.”
You’ll hear a bunch of different stuff like detail-oriented, great communication skills, engineering students, so on and so forth.
Now, you’re a salesperson…
Collect the insight. Then, dive into your remaining 2-3 minutes with exactly how you match exactly what they’re looking for!
As soon as you leave, they’ll be thinking boy, that John Smith…he seemed to match exactly what we needed. We need to call him back.
A gold star…
Most booth people need to jot notes on your resume because they can’t possibly remember everyone.
As soon as you walk away, they scratch on your resume numbers or stars or whatever.
He’s a 2. She’s a 5. Give him a silver star. Give her a gold star. You get the picture.
And, you get a star from me for watching. Thanks!
About the Author
Andrew LaCivita is the Founder & Chief Executive of milewalk and the milewalk Academy. As an internationally recognized executive recruiter, award-winning author, speaker, and trainer, Andrew has dedicated his career to helping people and companies realize their potential. He frequently serves as a trusted media resource and is the author of Interview Intervention, Out of Reach but in Sight, and The Hiring Prophecies (the eLit Gold Award Winner for Best Business/Careers/Sales Book for 2016).
Andrew’s passion is serving as a coach and trainer via his top 100 HR and Careers Blog, Tips for Work and Life®, and his online training site, the milewalk Academy. On a daily basis, he circulates his Today’s Line to Live By®, which is a self-developed inspirational quote. You can find these daily dispatches of inspiration on his blog and social media platform.
To learn more about Andrew, see his full biography and resources page.