Below are5 tips from Bayt.com, the Middle East's No1 Job Site, to make the most of this experience.
1. The5 Ws: Gather information about the career fair, when and where is it taking place, what is it about (ex: engineering career fair, Marketing and advertising career fair, etc.), who will be there, and why you would want to attend. It is very important to know which companies will be represented at the fair in order for you to research the ones that interest you, learn more about their corporate culture, their values and their mission statements and then assess whether you would like to be part of their corporate vision. Define the reasons why you would like to attend, set your goals so you can work towards achieving them and making the most of this fair.
2. Prepare your toolkit: Make numerous copies of your CV and different versions tailored to the employer you’re targeting, the company’s business, and the industry in which it operates, making sure you shed the light on the CV sections that are most relevant to the company’s requirements and field of work. Attaching a cover letter to your CV is always a plus that helps attract the attention of employers. Keep in mind that thousands of job seekers visit career fairs and take advantage of this event to submit their CVs to the biggest number of employers. Thus, you should grasp every opportunity and use every tool to stand out from the crowd.
3. Prepare your introduction and a list of Q&As: First impressions are of utmost importance especially in career fairs where every employer meets hundreds of job seekers. Therefore, make sure you prepare a concise yet very appealing introduction of yourself that would catch the employer’s attention and trigger his curiosity to know more about you. Preparing a list of questions is also essential to show your interest in working for the company you are targeting. Another must do is to prepare some answers to the most common questions asked by employers/interviewers as many companies perform on-site interviews as a first phase of screening candidates and filtering CVs.
4. Dress properly and have good manners: To each career fair its dress code. Remaining a very professional event at all times, dress codes may vary from a fair to another. (While some require business attire, some others are business casual.) It is very important to visit the fair’s website to get as much details about the event’s guidelines as possible. Aside from the dress code, good manners are essential components forging first impressions. You should be polite and professional to everyone you meet; speak up clearly and have a good posture. Interpersonal skills are key in career fairs!
5. Be active when it comes to career fairs: Keep abreast of all career fairs happening in your country and participate in the ones that interest you. If your time does not allow you to visit physical fairs you can always attend from the comfort of your home/office virtual job fairs that go live online and bring together job seekers and employers in an online recruitment environment to explore potential fits (Bayt.com brought the Virtual Job Fair Series to the Middle East over2 years back and they continue to prove to be a great success) In addition to the same benefits traditional career fairs offer, Bayt.com’s virtual job fairs are accessible24/7 and provide a confidential environment for candidates to enter a career fair and apply directly to jobs.
