Committed to Your Success Coaching & Consulting

Career fairs are a great way to bring employers together with potential employees.  It allows employers to gather resumes and interview potential candidates without a lot of the “fuss” or expense in the recuitment and hiring process.  It allows job seekers to learn more about employers and their agencies, to gain exposure, to network, and, hopefully, to connect with a job.  It can be a “win-win” for each party, if done correctly.

However, it is important for job seekers to understand that how they look and behave can have a major impact on whether or not they get time with an agency representative or get called to interview.  Here are five ways to ensure you WON’T be called (but they may get you the wrong type of attention):

1.  DON’T bring a resume - don’t think you need one.  Rely on your “charm” and talents. 

2.  DON’T have a proper resume - don’t check for spelling, verb usage; have it read like your job description; don’t highlight your accomplishments; put it on any old paper; print it out in whatever ink you have.

3.  DON’T come dressed to impress - wear your comfortable jeans and tee; don’t comb your hair; wear your “going to the club” clothes; wear too much jewelry, perfume or cologne

4.  DON’T know what type of job you’re looking for - be indecisive; don’t have a plan or a career path in mind; don’t understand or know how to communicate your personal brand; don’t be aware of your skills or talents and how they relate to a career path or to an employer

5.  DON’T have a good attitude - don’t be outgoing or personable; be “catty” or territorial; talk only about yourself and not care about others; check others out and make judgements; don’t act confident; don’t shake hands or have a limp shake; be dismissive of others; make a “beeline” to an employer and push out the competition.

All of these are ways to ensure you won’t get a second, or third, look from a perspective employer.  One last thing - DON’T assume that the only people you need to impress are the representatives from agencies at the fair.  There could be people there who are not looking for a job themselves but are out networking or have other services to offer, such as recruiters or career coaches.  The moral of the story is you never know who you may be talking to - it could be someone who could be the connector for your next job.