Society
of Broadcast Engineers, inc. Newsletter Article Submittal
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to print intact including ending attribution box. Category:
career and job-search tips Title:Career
Fairs—Your Shortcut to Job Interviews 539
words ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In
many cities and local communities, spring is career fair season.While
these events often prove disappointing, job-seekers who understand how
“work” career fairs use these events as powerful networking sessions leading
to interviews with future employers.If
you are considering attending a job fair soon, you’ll get more out of the
event by following these three rules. Rule
#1: Plan ahead. Know
ahead of time which companies will attend the event. Decide which employers
you are interested in contacting. Visit their websites to read their open
job positions.For employers of primary
interest, do extra research to acquaint yourself with them. The basics
are enough: local, national or global; headquarters, branch or subsidiary;
industry lifecycle (growing or declining) and how many employees locally.If
you’ve done your homework, you’ll feel much more confident during the event
to speak intelligently with company reps.Take
an employer list with you to make sure you don’t miss any important connections. Rule
#2: Prepare your 30-second presentation. Since
you know which employers you’re interested in and their job openings, prepared
to communicate your qualifications in a 30-second presentation, or “elevator
speech.”It shouldn’t sound canned
or contrived, but it should include a few selling points that catch the
rep’s attention for a few minutes. A
30-second presentation is not difficult to develop.Here’s
what I advise my clients.Reduce your
resume to selling points that fit on a 3X5 card.Use
that information to answer the all-important question—“why should I be
interested in considering you a candidate for a position with my company?”Now,
role play your speech with a friend, or by yourself while driving, or in
front of a mirror until your “speech” sounds and feels natural. Your
objective is to secure an after-event interview time before you leave the
booth.Don’t be afraid to ask for
the interview. Whether
you’ve secured an interview or not, don’t leave the booth without speaking
with someone and picking up their business card.After
the event use the business cards to re-establish contact and suggest an
interview where appropriate.This
is no time to be shy.Follow-up contact
will put you on top of the candidate pile Rule
#3:Avoid the crowd. Arrive
early or late, but avoid the noon-to-4:00 crowd.If
possible, come early before reps are bored, tired and hungry.Another
reason to avoid peak times: crowds can be intimidating.It’s
much easier to talk yourself out of approaching important employer contacts
when they are surrounded by other job seekers. Last
word—make sure your resume is in top-notch condition. Does it grab the
reader’s attention?Does it communicate
your best accomplishments?Does it
sell you as a top candidate?Have
several persons proof read it.Most
employers will want to store your resume in a computerized data base.Since
you’ll be distributing your resume in hard copy, make sure it is in scannable
form.No fancy fonts, graphics or
elaborate bullets. It’s
a fact that the best jobs go to those with the best job-search skills.Knowing
how to make the most out of career fairs is a valuable skill that can cut
weeks, event months off your job search.What
does that equate in potential earnings for you? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Deborah
Walker, CCMC Visit
us on the web at www.CareerShoppingBag.com Nation’s
top Resume Writers and Career Coaches Online
Resume Distribution FREE
Resume Critique~FREE
Article Archive Sign
up for FREE job-search Tip of the Week service ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thank
you Deborah
Walker, CCMC
CareerShoppingBag.com
888-828-0814