Tips for a Successful Career Fair
Having hosted 45+ fashion industry career fairs in both NY and LA since 2004, we here at StyleCareers.com have a pretty good idea as to what works best for job seekers at career fairs.
RESEARCH THE EXHIBITING COMPANIES BEFORE THE FAIR
One of the biggest complaints we hear from recruiters is that job seekers don’t take the time to learn about the company with which they are interviewing. To a recruiter, an unprepared candidate comes off as just wanting a job (any job) without regard to the company. Recruiters want job seekers who want to work for their organization. The best way to show this is to do your homework and learn about the company.
Great resources for company research include:
Exhibitor Websites – Learn about their products, culture, open positions, etc…
StyleCareers.com – Learn about their open positions, read their recruiting “about us”
LinkedIn.com – Find out who you know at a company
WeConnectFashion.com – General business information
Hoovers.com – General business information
WSJ.com – General business information
HAVE A PLAN
The career fairs are busy events. Prioritize the companies you want to see before the fair and make sure to see those companies first.
BE PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT YOURSELF
It is important that you have a well-practiced “Elevator Pitch” and that you are prepared to answer typical interview questions. The following page expand on this subject AND should be very helpful in your preparation.
APPLY TO JOBS BEFORE THE FAIR
A recruiter that has seen your resume prior to the fair is more likely to recognize it (and you) the day of the event. Remember what positions you applied to and reference them during the interviews.
TAKE NOTES
StyleCareers.com cannot provide contact information for any of the exhibitors. Take notes during or immediately after the interview. Make sure to write down the recruiter’s name, important points from the conversation and if possible, the next steps. If you make any notes as to the appearance of the recruiter to aid in recall, assume those notes will be read by that recruiter.
NETWORK WITH OTHER JOB SEEKERS
The StyleCareers.com FashionCareerFairs are very specific to the industry. The people standing in line with you might be a potential employer OR a potential employee in the future. Make sure to introduce yourself with those around you; if you can touch them, talk to them.
NEW YORK FASHION CAREER FAIR – October 27th
The fashion industry’s biggest brands and best companies will conducting face-to-face interviews at the StyleCareers.com FashionCareerFair on Thursday, October 27th at the Penn Plaza Pavilion.
Want to learn more about this one-day-only recruiting event? Please visit www.fashioncareerfairs.com for more details.