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When you make contact with a potential employer you are being evaluated from the very beginning. Be properly prepared.

Have a Professional Resume and Bring Lots of Copies: You will likely want to leave a resume with each person you talk to. Make sure your resume is presented in a professional manner, is up-to-date, clear, easy to read, and free of errors. You should have at minimum enough copies so that every exhibitor has one. Keep in mind that some larger companies may have two or three divisions at the fair. Don’t skimp on the copies because any leftover copies you can use in your future job search.

Dress Professionally: Seems easy enough, but you can’t stress this point too strongly. Keep in mind that first impressions tend to be lasting ones. Make sure you are wearing an outfit suitable for a job interview, because essentially, that’s what this is. First impressions are important, so don’t neglect your personal hygiene and keep perfumes and colognes to a bare minimum.

Know Your Stuff: Make sure you are familiar with all the information on your resume and be ready for any question that might arise from information on your resume. You should attempt to take time to speak with everyone you leave a resume with. As with any job interview, know your resume inside out.

Be Confident: You are there to get a job and to sell yourself. Project a confident attitude. If you have confidence in yourself, you will project a positive, professional attitude. That’s what employers want to see. Why should they hire you if you don’t give them a reason? Take a few minutes before you enter the career fair to give yourself a pep talk. Tell yourself that you have the abilities they are looking for. You are prepared, and you will succeed. And do it!

Research: Find out what companies are going to be at the Second Career Expo and which ones interest you. Research the companies by visiting their websites. Don’t neglect the smaller companies and the less-well known ones as often they will have less applicants and you’re odds may be better.

Attending a career fair is not onlya great way to to meet the essential hiring staff of a company, but also to gain exposure to multiple employers in order to develop your network of career contacts. It is also an opportunity to find out valuable information about various industries, corporations, and different job positions. Employers participate in career fairs to meet students and recruit employees. They will provide you with general information about career options, as well as specific information about current openings within their company.  Review the “tips” below:

What You Need to Do

• Review the list of employers from the Second Career Expo 2010 website before attending . Figure out which ones interest you the most and go there first. It is also a good idea to determine where employers are located beforehand and in what order to visit them.
• Broaden your focus and include many types of employers. While you may not have considered working for a hospital, many hospitals recruit and hire professionals in different fields such as management and information systems.
• Be organized! Bring plenty of copies of your résumé and a folder or portfolio to hold all your materials.
• Have a pen/pencil and paper available to take notes.
• Introduce yourself. Be prepared with a brief introductory sentence for each employer. Tell them the type of position and career path you wish to follow.
• Be aware of time demands on employers. Do not monopolize an employer’s time.
• Ask specific questions about the organization and career opportunities.
• Offer to follow up after the fair.
• Ask for employers’ business cards for follow up discussions and correspondence.

What to Learn From Employers

• Employment and/or hiring trends.
• Skills necessary for different careers/jobs.
• Current and future openings.
• Salary, benefits, training, and other information about the organization.
• Who to contact for follow up discussions.

What Employers May Want to Learn About You

• Specific career/job objectives.
• Individual strengths and weaknesses.
• Contributions you will make to the organization.

Contacting employers after the 2010 Second Career Expo

You can, and should, contact organizations after attending the 2010 Second Career Expo to express your thanks for interviews, do any follow-up an employer instructed, express your continued interest, etc.

Follow-up letters are also effective for:

• Accepting an interview invitation
• Asking if a position for which you interviewed or submitted a job application is still open
• Asking interviewers for feedback explaining the reasons you were passed over for a job, so you can try to improve your chances
• Offering additional information about your qualifications that your resume and cover letter didn’t or can’t
• Staying “in touch” by reaffirming your interest in the company, after they’ve rejected your first attempt at employment
• Staying “in touch” after a layoff. As are many, your employer might be negligent about matching your qualifications to open jobs after laying you off, despite what they promised in your separation package.
• Requesting an extension to accept or decline a job offer
• Thanking an employer for a job opportunity after you’ve accepted it
• Thanking an employer for a job opportunity even after you’ve declined it. You never know when you might need to count on a job offer from that employer again.
• Calling attention to yourself once more, after sending an interview thank-you letter. It might help you to stand out among other applicants.

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• Are you hiring right now? If not, when might you be?
• What are some of the types of jobs / careers withiin your field?
• Are there different areas of specialty within the field?
• What kinds of skills are required?
• What are some of the key attributes you look for when interviewing?
• What kind of training is required – formal/informal, type of training institution, on-the-job, apprenticeship?
• Where do you go for that training?
• Types of tools used?
• Is there opportunity to work your way up in your field?
• Are there many jobs within your field/industry? Do you see this changing?
• Are the jobs in your field traditionally filled by women or men? Is this changing?
• How has employment in your field changed recently?
• What changes do you see ahead?
• How does technology factor into your field? How does that affect who you hire?
• What kind of salary range exists within your field? What is the entry-level wage?
• What is the typical work schedule?
• What do you like/find rewarding about working in your chosen field?
• How did you get into your field? How did you end up where you are today?
• If someone wanted to start off in your field, what would you recommend they do first?
• You have likely worked in more than one field/industry over your career – can you compare or contrast any of these?
• Is there a possibility of having to relocate?
• Are there requirements to accept transfers to new communities; or what opportunites are available for transfers?