How Career Fairs Can Benefit You

Published on Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 by J. Gomes Category: Career Development

You may have heard of career fairs and have heard that they can help your career, but do you know exactly what these types of career expos can achieve to help you? There is a long list of positive attributes to go along with attending career fairs and networking is just one of them. If you have only a small amount of people in your network due to being new to a city or in the field you wish to advance in, it can be tough building a list up of professionals to keep in contact with.

There are career fairs for many different fields. It is important that you check out local career websites that advertise these expos as many only hold events once or twice a year. Once you have found an expo you would like to attend you will need to prepare well in advance. There will be many people attending these types of evens searching for the same objectives as you. It is important to make yourself stick out and make a great first impression for business owners, human resources and any other higher ups in companies that can have an influence on your career.

Here are some great tips to keep you on track:

#1 Dress the part.

You want to look your upmost best. If you think that wearing a suit is overdressing for any type of career fare then you are very wrong! It shows you are professional, serious and ambitious. If you dress your absolute best, your confidence will shine through as well.

#2 Support for Confidence

If you know someone who is looking to advance in their career or wants to start networking as well, bring them along! There is nothing wrong with bringing a friend as long as they are there for the same reasons you are and make you feel confident. If you are more comfortable attending these types of functions alone, then choose the other option.

#3 Contact Cards

You will want to be sure that you bring professionally-made contact cards stating your name, contact information and career objective. This is an easy way to hand out your contact information without entering it into your phone or on a notepad. Business cards are used often and can make a great first impression. Make sure that you get your contact cards made up professionally and simply. No need for pictures or colors. A simple black and white card stating your contact information will suffice. You can also add you top qualities on the back of the card for a professional touch.

#4 Know Your Skills

There is no point in attending a career fair to show off your skills and abilities if you do not know what they are. It may be a good idea to rehearse what your top 5 skills and qualities are in front of a mirror, or even better yet a friend or family member who can give you feed back.

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