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Acing the career fair(York Daily Record (PA) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Mar. 4--It's job fair season again, which means it's time for new grads and job changers alike to dust off those interview suits, print out those resumes and hit the circuit. Walking into a room full of hundreds of people can be scary, but it's even more intimidating when those people could be potential employers. Here are a few TIPS FROM LOCAL EXPERTS TO HELP NAVIGATE THE WORLD OF JOB FAIRS: --Wear appropriate clothing. Ties are OK, women can choose slacks. The tone should be business casual. --Look at the job fair's Web site for companies of interest. Research companies and make a list of the ones you want to see. --Plan to spend about 10 to 15 minutes per interested company; budget your time accordingly. "I usually take (job fairs) a little bit more casually," said Kevin Traister, director of human resources for Bell Socialization Services Inc. "I like to get a feel for people, see how they're doing." --Bring an appropriate number of resumes. Resumes should be proof-read and up-to-date. --Be friendly. "People aren't just looking for technical skills," said Dana Dehoff, co-chair of the York County Cooperative Job Fair Committee. "They're also looking for a people-person, a leader, a team member." --Don't hesitate to approach a company you're interested in even if they don't currently have an opening that's right for you. "We accept applications year-round for all positions," said Bret Bowersox, director of human relations at York Wallcoverings in York. "We might not have an opening now, but we keep a file of current resumes." --Ask questions. "I'm always impressed when people ask lots of questions," Traister said. "It shows they really care about what we do." --Bring your calendar or PDA in case the employer representative wants to schedule an interview. --Be flexible. "Especially if you're a person looking for a first job, you're not going to be able to walk in the door and be the senior person in the department," Bowersox said. "You might have to work second or third shift for a while before making first shift. Be open to that." --Ask for a business card or contact information when wrapping up the conversation. If the employer representative spent time with you, a follow-up thank you note is appropriate. If the employer representative was not able to talk, but you have an interest in the company, send a "nice to meet you" note. Bowersox and Dehoff said job fairs can be intimidating, but job seekers shouldn't let that get to them. "People who do HR and recruiting know it's not the most fun thing," said Bowersox. "But everybody you're talking to is a human and they've been in your shoes." UPCOMING JOB FAIRS: --York Revolution Professional Baseball Club: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Crispus Attucks Community Center, 605 S. Duke St., York 4:30 to 9 p.m. March 14, Red Lion Recreation Center, 190 S. Charles St., Red Lion --York County Cooperative Job Fair: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 24, York Expo Center Memorial Hall East www.YorkJobFair.org --Baltimore County Public Schools Teacher Expo and Job Fair: 3 to 7:30 p.m. April 25, Timonium Fairgrounds (800) TEACHBC www.bcps.org To see more of the York Daily Record, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.ydr.com. Copyright (c) 2007, York Daily Record, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |