APU Careers Careers & Learning

Career Fairs: A Job Seeker’s Blind Date (Part I)

By Christine Muncynetworking-PR
Contributor, Career Services

Yes, you’ve read that correctly. A Career Fair can rather easily be compared to a blind date. In fact, the similarities are striking when you break it down. I first began looking at career fairs, networking events (and later even conferences) as blind dates when I was working as an admissions counselor for a small college. I would meet hundreds of students, parents, and colleagues at each event, and oftentimes attend multiple events in a week. When I spoke with these same individuals later in the season, most applicants expected me to remember them personally, though quite frankly, I remembered very few. When I began job searching and it was time for me to attend my first career fair, I was determined to be memorable, and that required not only research, but also some very raw self-reflection.

I am envious of those individuals who have an infectious personality. You know who I am talking about: those people who can walk into a room, smile, mingle, and have people immediately like and remember them. It seems to come natural for them, and all I can think of is how much I wish I could be like them. Being an analytical thinker, I needed to better understand the factors that went into standing out and being remembered, and that’s when I realized the fundamentals are the same as a blind date. After all, you are meeting someone you have never met before in an attempt to impress and get a second meeting, right? Provided below are some of tips I have found to be helpful when attending career fairs.

Research, Research, Research. It gets old being told to “Do your research,” because no one ever says exactly what to research! Well, it’s really quite simple, and you have several places to start! The Office of Career Services provides access to Vault, an online library which contains testimonials, ‘day in the life’ and historical information about the companies you are targeting. You are even able to flag companies you are interested in so the next time you log in you don’t have to start over. In addition, did you check to see if the company has a YouTube Channel, a LinkedIn group, or a Facebook page? Does the company tweet (even if you don’t)? What’s trending? Are they expanding, or did they just get a new contract? Conducting this research in advance will help set you apart from the (possibly) unprepared and uniformed job seeker standing next to you.

Dress to Impress. A common saying, though perhaps not stated enough, is “Dress for the job you want, not the one you have.” When preparing for an event, it is very important to understand the atmosphere and expected level of attire. This can be especially difficult at networking events as they can be misleading by being held in restaurants or upscale bars. The seemingly casual atmosphere may convince you to dress down for the event, but do not be fooled. If you are a job seeker, make sure you dress to impress! If you aren’t sure of the level of attire, wear a suit with a shirt that can stand on its own. In this way you can remove your jacket if necessary. Always remember though, the point isn’t to blend in, it’s to stand out.

Check Yourself Out. Make sure you look in the mirror before you walk out the door, and then again before you walk into the career fair. This is not about being vain, but about ensuring you don’t have something stuck in your teeth, that your hair didn’t get disheveled during your travel, or, heaven forbid, you forgot to zip your pants (we want to stand out for the right reasons, not the wrong reasons).

Like a job application and cover letter (or an online dating profile if we are talking about a blind date), the above is a basic introduction to being memorable. And just like an interview, my next post will seal the deal on how to be memorable. Stay tuned for later this week…

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