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Until next time,

To your success!

Annemarie Cross
Career Management & Career Development Specialist

 Coach's Corner

Career Expos: Must-do tips to make an impression

For those of you who have attended a career expo, you have probably been overwhelmed by the long lines and lack of time and interest shown by the harried HR representatives. Participation can be very discouraging as it seems you are just part of an assembly line that most often leads to no call backs.

Here are a few tips for those of you who are planning on attending a career expo, to assist you in taking a more proactive approach to position you from the dozens of other hopeful job seekers.

1. Dress to impress: that all-important first impression is also important when attending a career expo. You should be dressed as if you were attending an interview, and should not be accompanied by children, family or friends.


2. Avoid the shuffle and ask proactive questions that focus on (a) what the company is looking for in their applicants; and (b) what the job seeker can do for the company.


3. Try to get a contact point with the name of a person who can be followed up after the career expo: “I can see you are extremely busy, but I would appreciate the opportunity to gain your insight on my match for your organisation. May I call you later this week?”


4. Avoid the busy times: It’s not a good idea to show up first thing as that is when the glut of attendees arrive. Employers will have limited time to actually speak with a job seeker during this time. The best time is lunch or early afternoon.


5. Avoid the early close down time: Many HR people begin to pack up as early as 3:30 pm. A job seeker should avoid going after work even if the event is scheduled until 5:00 pm.

For job seekers who have already attended a career expo, you may already have crossed off the prospect of ever returning to one from your career marketing plan.

The career expo can feel like a meat market, pressed with people of all shapes and sizes crowding around the few employers; and worse, you may have given out your number 30 times (or your resume), but never get a call back.

So, is it a waste of time? Not if it’s done right, and for the right reasons. First of all, you should never look at a career expo as a chance to get hired. Sure, it happens at career expos, but it’s rare. The career expo is (1) an opportunity to make contacts for follow up; (2) a chance to find out who is hiring; and (3) a way to gather information on local companies.

Do your homework:

Career expo event managers always list the participating companies in their ads, which means that you can do your homework on any companies you may want to target beforehand. That way, you will be more prepared for approaching target companies. Additionally, you should have an idea of what kind of jobs you are qualified for vs. fishing at the employer booths.

Arrive at the right time:

This is one time where being the early bird means you will rarely get the worm. It can be very crowded in the first 2-3 hours, which results in employers spending very little to no time with each candidate. On the flip side, you should not arrive too late either, as many employers start to pack up as early as 3:30 pm.

Believe it or not, the best time is usually lunch time as there is surprisingly little traffic.

Go prepared:

You should have plenty of copies of your resume with you (on nice resume paper) and should avoid gimmicks geared to make you stand out, like neon-colored papers. You should also be warned NOT to use your resume as a shield. Most job seekers make the mistake of approaching a booth with their resume held out before them making it easy for the employer to take it, place it in the growing stack, and say they will review it later.

Rather, you should approach the employer, saying something like, “Hello, my name is __________________. I am very interested in your company and would love to have the opportunity to find out if I have what your company looks for in a candidate for a position in _________________. I see that you are very busy, so would it possible for me to follow up with you later this week?” This could lead to the resume being reviewed with feedback or the all-important opportunity to get contact information.

Be direct and professional:

You should remember that you are there to make a positive impression, which goes beyond professional attire. You should not make common mistakes like being too casual, picking up extra giveaways like stress balls for the kids, not making eye contact, or monopolising the employer’s time.

Get the scoop:

A career expo is a terrific time to gather information, especially when it is busy. Take the opportunity to collect literature from every booth for careful review at home. This will provide you with a leg-up for company research.

Good luck!

Till next fortnight!

To your success!

Annemarie
 

 Ace that Interview!

• Keep your response concise and do not be tempted to provide too much detail unless requested to provide further information. Quite often we can tend to begin babbling, which could cause the interviewer to become suspicious.
• Never, ever, lie about the reason for seeking new job opportunities but rather, stick with the facts. If the reason for your wanting to leave has the potential to leave a negative impression with the interviewer, ensure you tell them what you did and what you have learned from the incident.
• Don’t speak negatively about your current or previous employers even if there is truth behind what you are saying, as this again could cause the interviewer to become suspicious. A personality clash could be portrayed as a difference in working styles or a company culture that was not congruent to your style; or perhaps a change in management due to a company merger resulted in a new team being brought on board. Then end your response by adding a contribution that you secured while on that team, for instance “Prior to the merger and management changeover, I won xx awards for achieving highest-ever revenues three months consecutively in 2004.”
• Other reasons that are quite legitimate are outgrowing the position and not feeling challenged. You are therefore seeking a position that will provide you with further opportunities to demonstrate your expertise.
• Perhaps you have recently undergone further professional development and wish to pursue a role that will require your newly-learned skills, however your current employer does not currently have a position available.

The list is endless and must centre on the reason why you are seeking new employment opportunities. Remember to retain eye contact with the interviewer when you deliver your response, while maintaining confidence in your voice. To ensure your reply will be delivered professionally, write it out and practise it a number of times until you are comfortable saying it.

Want to learn how to answer other difficult questions? You can!! Grab your copy of 10 key steps to Ace that Interview! Today! Send me Ace that Interview today! 

Need to get your hands on 10 key steps to Ace that Interview! immediately for an unexpected interview? Get a copy of our new e-Book version delivered to your inbox today! Send me Ace that Interview today!  

Note: Want to learn more about how our laser-focused interview telecoaching sessions can drastically improve your interview performance? Click here to find out how.
 

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