So you realize you’re almost done school, or for whatever reason you are hitting up the open houses and job fairs. The networking, the chit chating, the professional talk and jargon. No easy task, you’re 1 out of 9000 potential candidates who attend. You need to ensure your CV is complete, you have your elevator pitch written, and now you need to hit this thing up.
No course in school prepares you for this, why it doesn’t exist? makes no sense to me but, lucky for you, I am writing an article about it.
- Study the lay of the land, do research on the companies who are attending before hitting up the fair. If you are a civil engineer, do not go see the museums asking if they need a curator. If you want a job in engineering check which companies are attending related to that domain and bring your resumes.
- Go there with updated copies of your resume, with an on-point professional appearance, and your best ass kissing you have out there. I am not a fan of the cover letter; however, you need something to stand out, I’ve seen this a few times and I love it. Business cards!! You are bound to be remembered.
- Do not go there to take the free SWAG the companies are giving away. If you show up just to ask for a free pen, go home.
- When meeting the companies, speak to HR and the other members. Prepare your elevator pitch and practice it because HR never goes alone to do these things; we always drag another manager with us from another department that is most probably hiring. Ask HR and the manager questions, make a good impression, seem eager and willing to work. The more enjoyable the conversation the more of a positive memory they will have of you.
- Add the people you met on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is for networking; you can slide in their DMs after thanking them for taking the time to talk to you and ask them to remember you for anything that pops up in the future.
The job market is hard, you need to do everything to ensure that you get chosen. Need help? Let’s get it done.