Northeastern Illinois University Successfully Navigating a Job Fair Online Workshop

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Northeastern Illinois University Successfully
Navigating a Job Fair Online Workshop

• The Placement Office, Office of Student Affairs
• Barbara Cosentino, Assistant Director of
  Placement

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Congratulations!!

• Youve decided to attend a Job Fair. Youre on
  your way to meeting employers, learning about job
  opportunities and getting on a career path.

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Just remember this ruleJob Fairs are only
effective for students who are prepared!!
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Basic Steps for Preparing for the Job Fair

• Review your resume
• Take a look at the list of companies coming to
  the event beforehand.
• Create a list of companies you would like to meet
  at the job fair
• Dress professionally and look like a candidate
  and not like a student That means wear a suit,
  or at least dress business casual.

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Resume

• Your resume should be 100 error free that
  means no spelling or grammatical errors!
• Your resume should be fully updated prior to the
  fair.
• It should be printed on high quality paper, and
  not photocopied.
• Have enough resumes on-hand to give at least 2 to
  every employer attending.

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Examples of Resumes

• If you do not have a resume, there are many
  examples available to you to base your resume on.
  Check out the following resources
• The Placement Office, B-119 (Paper examples and
  resume books as well as examples on the website
  http//www.neiu.edu/CarServ.htm
• The Ronald Williams Library on-campus
• The Internet! Some good sites include
  http//www.resume-resource.com/samples.html and
  http//jobsearch.about.com/od/teenstudentgrad/a/st
  udentresume.htm.

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Review Companies Coming to the Job Fair

• Visit the company websites prior to attending the
  fair.
• Visit other websites that also provide company
  profiles. Some good company capsule websites
  include http//www.hoovers.com and
  http//www.companiesonline.com.
• Google the company name you never know what
  sort of interesting and useful information may
  come up!
• Jot down some basic information on each company
  you are interested in, such as what their basic
  function is, what sort of services they provide,
  and what their mission statement focuses on.
• Why do you need to do this? So you know why you
  want to work for the company. If you dont know
  why you wish to work for them, they wont know
  why they should hire you!

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Dress for Success!

• Just knowing about the companies coming and
  having a resume ready is not enough. You have to
  dress for success which means in a professional
  or business casual manner no matter what the
  job is you are applying for. Remember, you have
  only one chance to make a good impression!!

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Dressing Professionally For Men

• To look truly professional, you should wear a
  suit in a neutral color such as black, navy or
  gray. If you do not have a suit, at the bare
  minimum you should don a shirt, tie and nice
  slacks.
• Your shirt should be a neutral color such as
  white or pale blue.
• Your tie should be a complimentary color and
  should be standard in appearance. That means no
  cartoon characters, pinup girls, etc.
• Your socks should match your pants in color.
• Dress shoes are a must! Take the time to shine
  them the evening before.

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Appropriate Professional Dress Examples
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Dressing Business Casual for Men

• If you do not own a suit currently, then opt for
  dressing business casual.
• Your shirt should be a neutral color such as
  white or pale blue. You can use a button down
  shirt or a polo style shirt. All shirts should be
  tucked in. Button-downs should preferably be
  long-sleeved.
• Ties are optional at a business casual job fair
  but are definitely dressier and make more of an
  impression.
• Pants should be khaki style and should be a
  neutral color such as beige, gray, or black.
• Socks should match the color of your pants.
• For footwear, use dress shoes that compliment
  your pants and are shined. Athletic shoes are not
  acceptable business casual attire.

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Appropriate Business Casual Examples
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Inappropriate Job Fair Attire for Men
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Dressing Professionally for Women

• Looking professional at job fair means wearing a
  skirt or pants suit in a neutral color such as
  navy, black, or gray.
• Your blouse should be in a complimentary neutral
  color such as white, cream colored, or light
  blue. Avoid off the shoulder styles or body
  skimming tops.
• Hosiery should be skin toned and should be free
  of snags or runs.
• Dress shoes of no more than 2 inches high are a
  must. Make sure they are polished and free of
  scuffs.
• Makeup should be natural looking and soft.
  Jewelry should be minimal and you should wear no
  more than 5 pieces total, with 1 earring counting
  as 1 piece of jewelry.
• Hosiery should be skin toned and should be free
  of snags or runs.
• Dress shoes with heels of no more than 2 inches
  high are a must. Make sure they are polished and
  free of scuffs.
• Makeup should be natural looking and soft.
  Jewelry should be minimal and you should wear no
  more than 5 pieces total, with 1 earring counting
  as 1 piece of jewelry.

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Appropriate Professional Dress Examples
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Dressing Business Casual For Women

• If you do not currently own a suit, then you do
  need to attend the job fair in business casual
  attire.
• You can wear either pants or a skirt, provided
  neither is tight. Stick to colors such as black,
  brown, gray, navy blue or khaki. Fabrics should
  be cotton or cotton-blends.
• Skirts should come to the knee at their shortest.
  Be careful of slits in your skirt! Slits should
  not come up high on the leg.
• Pair these bottoms with a button-down shirt,
  blouse, sweater set or pull-over in a cotton,
  silk or blended fabric. Avoid shiny materials or
  tight fits.
• Hosiery should be skin toned and should be free
  of snags or runs.
• Dress shoes with heels of no more than 2 inches
  high are a must. Make sure they are polished and
  free of scuffs.
• Makeup should be natural looking and soft.
  Jewelry should be minimal and you should wear no
  more than 5 pieces total, with 1 earring counting
  as 1 piece of jewelry.
• If you are carrying a purse or a bag, err on the
  conservative side in terms of color or fabric.
  Carry the smallest bag possible for your items.

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Appropriate Business Casual Examples
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Inappropriate Job Fair Attire for Women
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For Male and Female Job Fair Attendees

• Make sure you cover up any tattoos with clothing
  if possible.
• Take out any extra piercings that you may have,
  including nose, tongue and lips.
• Make sure your hair is clean, styled nicely and
  not in your eyes.
• Keep mints on hand to ensure fresh breath as
  needed.
• Do not chew gum or smoke prior or during the
  event.
• Leave your book bag behind. You want to look like
  a candidate and not like a student. Invest in a
  portfolio to carry your resumes and pens in, or
  at least leave your book bag in the car.
• Turn your cell phone off during the job fair.

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Remember

• You are the living embodiment of your resume, so
  put your best foot forward!

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Once you are at the job fair Stop, Look and
Listen

• Plan on interacting with the recruiters Just
  sneaking up to a recruiters table and slipping a
  resume onto it will not net you a job!
• Practice common courtesy while waiting to talk to
  employers. This means waiting patiently, not
  chatting on your cell phone and not complaining
  to your fellow job seekers.
• Use the time you have while waiting to talk to a
  recruiter to review your notes on the company, to
  network with other candidates, or to subtly
  eavesdrop on the information a recruiter is
  giving another candidate.
• Smile, make eye contact and shake hands with the
  recruiter.
• Remember If you can see and hear the recruiter,
  he or she can also see and hear you!

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Prepare to Sell Yourself

• You are your own salesperson and the product you
  are representing is you as a potential employee.
  You only have 1-5 minutes to sell your product
  to the recruiter.
• Create a 30 second commercial marketing your
  skills and abilities.
• In general, your commercial should include these
  steps Introduce yourself, demonstrate your
  knowledge of the company, state how your skills
  can benefit them, and express enthusiasm.
• Practice your commercial prior to the event so
  that you sound confident and ready.

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Two Commercials

• The following is a typical commercial from an
  unprepared job fair attendee
• Hi, umMy name is Brad and Im looking for a
  job in computer science. What are you hiring
  for?
• A prepared job seeker, on the other hand,
  introduces herself to the recruiter in the
  following fashion
• Hi. My name is Michelle Myers. I am an
  education major here at Northeastern Illinois
  University, and am looking for a job that
  interacts with kids. I visited your web site and
  read that XYZ Agency has an after-school tutoring
  program. I am really interested in that line of
  work. May I give you my resume?

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During your time with recruiters, you will have
opportunities to ask questions. The following are
a general list of questions you can choose from
to use during the job fair

• What qualities is the company looking for in new
  hires?
• What is the hiring process like?
• Why did you choose to work for this organization?
  
• What is the next step I should take after the
  fair?

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Close with the Recruiter

• Manage your time at each table and avoid
  monopolizing the recruiters time. Again, the
  average time at a recruiters individual table is
  1-5 minutes.
• Thank the recruiter for speaking with you, smile
  and shake hands again.
• Take or ask for the recruiters business card and
  company literature.

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After each recruiter interaction

• Add any new information you have obtained about
  the company to your pre-existing notes.
• Write down a few impressions of your conversation
  with the recruiter.
• Do not move to the next table until you have
  taken some notes on the previous interaction and
  reviewed the next company you are about to visit.

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After the fair

• Send a thank you note to the recruiter within 3
  days. Touch upon some of the conversation you had
  with the recruiter at the fair and reiterate why
  you would be a good candidate for the company.
  (Examples of Thank You letters are at the
  Placement Office website).
• Include another copy of your resume with the
  thank you letter.
• Follow up on any promises made within 3 days,
  such as transcripts, clippings, writing samples,
  web site links, etc.

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References

• Career Recruitment Media, Inc. Getting the Most
  Out of a Career Fair. 1999. http//osu.eng.placem
  entmanual.com/jobsearch/jobsearch-02.html
• Dougherty, Sharon. The Job Fair Jumble.
  Careerbuilder.com. 2000. http//www.careerbuilder.
  com/gh_jh_0101_jobfair.html
• Duquesne University Career Services Center. Tips
  on Job Fair Success. 2001. http//www.lewisu.edu/
  students/fair.htm
• Stony Brook University Career Center. Preparing
  for the Fair. 2002. http//www.career.sunysb.edu
  /students/Job_Internship/jobfair/job_fair_content.
  asp
• University of North Dakota Career Services,
  Cooperative Education. UND Career Fair Success.
  2002. http//www.career.und.edu/career.job
• Vogt, Peter. Learn to Work a Career Fair
  Before, During and After. Monster.com. 2002.
  http//content.monstertrak.monster.com/resources/a
  rchives/archive/jobhunt/careerfair
• Yoon-Ji Kang, Esther. Navigating a Job Fair.
  Brassring.com. http//www.brassring.com/content.Ar
  ticle.asp?DocID4678SectionID3ChannelID1SiteI
  D32/7/02