How to Stand Out From the Crowd at a Job Fair

How to Stand Out From the Crowd at a Job Fair

With unemployment rates climbing to double digits in some states, job hunters are turning out in record numbers at job fairs hoping to make a good impression and get back into the workforce. Competition for landing a job can be fierce and Better Business Bureau is offering advice on how job hunters can make a strong impression and position themselves as the candidate of choice with potential employers.

In early March, the Georgia Department of Labor organized the largest job fair in the state’s history; more than 19,000 attended in order to meet with 100 employers. In California, more than 10,000 people flocked to Dodger Stadium for a job fair. And in Cleveland 7,000 showed up for a job fair vying for 1,000 jobs, causing more than 2,000 job seekers to be turned away by overwhelmed fire marshals.

“Job fairs can be a great way to meet with many potential employers, however, in today’s flooded job market, standing out from the crowd and positioning yourself as the best candidate is a tough battle,” said Kathy Barrett “With a good game plan and some focused preparation, though, job hunters can tip the scales in their favor and greatly increase the probability of making a good impression and securing a new position.”

BBB offers the following advice for job hunters on how to prepare and present themselves at a job fair:

Research companies first. In some cases, only one employer is holding a job fair, which makes research much easier. For larger job fairs bringing in many employers, job hunters should be able to find a list of attending companies at the host’s Web site and begin researching the companies they want to target beforehand. Not only will this help job hunters focus on specific opportunities, but it will also help them develop intelligent, tailored pitches for the employers they want to engage.

Take plenty of resumes. Before walking into a job fair, job hunters should know which businesses are attending, and what positions they are recruiting for. Job hunters should have customized resumes prepared for their target.

With unemployment rates climbing to double digits in some states, job hunters are turning out in record numbers at job fairs hoping to make a good impression and get back into the workforce. Competition for landing a job can be fierce and Better Business Bureau is offering advice on how job hunters can make a strong impression and position themselves as the candidate of choice with potential employers.

In early March, the Georgia Department of Labor organized the largest job fair in the state’s history; more than 19,000 attended in order to meet with 100 employers. In California, more than 10,000 people flocked to Dodger Stadium for a job fair. And in Cleveland 7,000 showed up for a job fair vying for 1,000 jobs, causing more than 2,000 job seekers to be turned away by overwhelmed fire marshals.

“Job fairs can be a great way to meet with many potential employers, however, in today’s flooded job market, standing out from the crowd and positioning yourself as the best candidate is a tough battle,” said Kathy Barrett “With a good game plan and some focused preparation, though, job hunters can tip the scales in their favor and greatly increase the probability of making a good impression and securing a new position.”

BBB offers the following advice for job hunters on how to prepare and present themselves at a job fair:

Research companies first. In some cases, only one employer is holding a job fair, which makes research much easier. For larger job fairs bringing in many employers, job hunters should be able to find a list of attending companies at the host’s Web site and begin researching the companies they want to target beforehand. Not only will this help job hunters focus on specific opportunities, but it will also help them develop intelligent, tailored pitches for the employers they want to engage.

Take plenty of resumes. Before walking into a job fair, job hunters should know which businesses are attending, and what positions they are recruiting for. Job hunters should have customized resumes prepared for their target