Top Career Fair Advice from Recruiters

Jobipedia.org Experts Offer Help to Career Fair Bound Students and Job Seekers

Washington, DC – Today, as students and job seekers are attending fall career fairs on college campuses and in arenas and meeting venues across America, recruiting experts at jobipedia.org offer advice on how to make the most of each career fair opportunity.

Jobipedia.org is a free career advice website where hiring officials from America’s leading employers answer questions submitted by first time job seekers.  The website is hosted by the HR Policy Foundation and was created to help new entrants into the workforce successfully gain employment and keep jobs by receiving insight and advice from recruiters at America’s largest companies about interviewing, resumes, professional conduct and other facets of the working world. 

Hiring professionals contributing to jobipedia.org agreed that college students and job seekers should have a plan in place to make the most of their brief time with company representatives at career fairs.  The following is a summary of their advice:

1. Do research on the companies attending.  A jobipedia.org expert from American Express said, “I’d highly recommend that you review the list of attending employers if possible. This list is usually available in advance and allows you the chance to devise a plan for which booths to visit.”

2. Come prepared with questions.  A recruiter from IBM and jobipedia.org contributor said, “Ask very specific questions of the company representatives, building your knowledge even further and demonstrating your interest.”

3. Be ready with your selling points. “Come prepared with an informative yet concise “elevator speech” that you can kick off a conversation with at the booth. For a career fair, this brief two to three sentence introduction should say who you are, and something specific about your experiences that can benefit the organization,” said a jobipedia.org contributor from Textron.  A recruiter from Gap added, “Recruiters want to see energy, optimism, and potential. We know that you may not have a depth of skills yet, so communicate your desire to apply what you’ve learned in school or college in a meaningful way.”

4. Have a great resume. Jobipedia.org contributor from ManpowerGroup said, “Your resume is your first impression so you want to make it a great one. It is always best to keep your resume simple and straightforward… honest and make sure to proofread, proofread, proofread!”

5. Be professional and friendly. A jobipedia.org expert from The Schwan Food Company said, “Personality and how you interact with others is very important.  Often times, creating good rapport with an interviewer will help you overcome missing skill-sets that might be needed for a role.  You can train employees how to perform a job, but it’s a lot harder to change someone’s behaviors.”

Career fairs can be intimidating, but they provide a terrific chance to connect with potential employers.  As a contributor from Dupont said, “Navigating and utilizing the opportunities presented at a career fair is a skill.  The more practice you get now, the better you will be at it when you are actively looking for your next opportunity.” 

For additional advice from company experts on career fairs, networking, resume writing, tips on interviewing and more, visit www.jobipedia.org.

With over 675 questions received and nearly 2,600 answers given, jobipedia.org brings together career service professionals and top tier recruiters to help first-time jobseekers and recent graduates get hired and succeed in the first steps of their professional careers. Jobipedia.org is a free, reliable online resource where candidates can ask questions and quickly receive the most honest, useful and timely information from hiring experts at some of America’s largest companies, all members of the HR Policy Foundation.

HR Policy Foundation is HR Policy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to getting America educated, qualified and hired.  Through the development of research, services and other resources that use the collective voice of America’s largest employers, we strive to help better inform workers, educators, jobseekers, students, career counselors and parents about the skills needed in today’s rapidly changing workplaces.  For more information visit www.hrpolicyfoundation.org.