Most job fairs run between January and May. When Spring rolls around, things usually ramp up because most employers want job openings filled before Summer kicks off.
If you are among the job seekers attending job fairs, then take down these tips to preparing for it and making the most of your time there.
If you want employers to keep on reading your resume, you’re going to need a resume that speaks to them. By this we mean a resume that can tell them what value you bring to the table, or that addresses the question, “What can you do for me?” Related: 3 Ways To Emphasize Your ROI On Your Resume So, you’re probably wondering: “How do I do that?” First, you need to understand that hiring managers may only spend a few seconds scanning your resume before moving on to the next resume, so you need to be as concise as possible and the information needs to come off the page easily; not buried in a world of text.
An elevator pitch is essentially used to help you gain the interest of people to talk to you when there is only a window of 20 seconds or less to speak – the amount of time you may be in the elevator with the CEO of the company you’re dying to work for or in another similar scenario. Related: 3 Tips For Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch The mission is to get the contact to responds with “Why don’t you send me your resume?” or something similar like, “Let’s schedule a time to further discuss.” So, you’re probably wondering, “What makes a good elevator pitch and how can I compose one?” First off, remember that your mission is simply to get the conversation started. You want to keep it conversational as you point out what value you offer that’s a competitive advantage over other potential candidates and how it may prove to be beneficial experience in helping to solve a problem for the employer.
Today, more and more employers are conducting phone interviews before inviting job candidates to an in-person meeting. With more applicants available for each opening, employers do not have the time to invest in a meeting for every candidate that simply looks good on paper. Phone interviews make it easier to screen a candidates. Related: Top 3 Tips For Phone Interviews Some of these phone interviews may include standard questions that ask about facts, such as your experience and any specific skills you have. However, there are also employers who dive right into some of the most challenging questions, such as giving you a scenario and asking for your response and plan to handle the situation described. As a job applicant, there are benefits and disadvantages to a phone interview. Some people are well-spoken and are great on the phone, but in person, their nervousness gets to them. Some are more comfortable speaking in-person and lack personality on the phone. Under both situations, it can be a challenge when you don’t have feedback that may typically appear through face-to-face contact. Regardless of the situation, you need to put your best voice forward to leave the employer with a good impression. This may be the only shot you have at getting a step closer to securing a job offer with them. Remember that the employer may change their mind about inviting you in for an interview if you fall short of their expectations or leave a negative impression on the phone. Note that in a phone interview, your intonation is most important in how you come across, so you should be energetic and enthusiastic and change your tone to better engage the interviewer. You should also be prepared to ask some basic questions, although save the big ones for a formal interview.
The right recruiter can put you in front of dream job opportunities. This is especially the case for higher-level positions because there are employers who will not publicly publicize a job opening, but solely rely on recruiters to source the right talent. The good recruiters are paid by employers (as much as 20-30% of the annual compensation for the position) to find the right people for the job, so when you work with one, understand that their loyalty is to the employer. They are not necessarily there to help you find a job unless you have what they need to fill the job opening. For more tips on working with recruiters, read “6 Tips On Working With Recruiters.” In order to spark interest in recruiters, you have to show you meet most - if not all - of the qualification requirements for the job. Here are six things they’re looking at on your LinkedIn profile:
Clearly, you want to demonstrate you have the experiences and skills for the job, but what is it that makes one candidate more favorable than the other when they both equally have the same type of experience and skills? Understand what other areas interviewers consider when reviewing each candidate as a total package so you perform your best at the interview. Related: 5 Tips To Ace The In-Person Interview Here are four areas interviewers rate you on:
A job title is often used in the search criteria by job seekers and employers. But when a job title on your resume does not appropriately describe what you do, it can mean a lost opportunity. Related: Get Your Free Resume Critique Today! Employers take only a couple of seconds to skim a resume, and they do not necessarily read further into it beyond job titles on initial review. Titles may run from Account Executive to Account Manager, or Junior Analyst to Senior Analyst. It all provides some general insight on a candidate’s level of experience in a particular field. So, what are you to do when the job title you hold does not exactly reflect your level of experience or the responsibilities you have with the position? For instance, say you currently hold the title of “Office Manager,” but 50% of your time is focused on accounting functions, which happens to be the job you are seeking. How can you reflect on your resume upfront that you have extensive accounting experience on the job? There are ways to combat the matter of vague job titles on the resume.
