Five Things to Avoid Doing at Career Fairs

Summary: Everyone knows to dress up when attending career fairs and to be approachable but there are four more things you need to avoid doing to better your chances at finding a job.

Attending career fairs is quite often a must. No one really likes them. They are intimidating and usually a hit or miss but they are inevitable. Job fairs are sometimes the best way to get introduced to companies. They are especially important if your resume is weak but you have people skills that allow you to easily strike up a conversation with strangers. Here are five things to avoid doing at career fairs.

1. Never attend career fairs empty-handed. Always bring several copies of your resume as well as a notebook and pen to write down important information that you gather from employers and fellow attendees. If you have business cards, bring those with you as well to hand out.
2. Never show up in your street clothes. Wear a suit and tie if you are a guy or a nice professional outfit if you are a girl. When you show up to speak to potential employers in jeans and a nice shirt you are telling the employers that you will be one to bend and break the rules at work. If you don’t own a nice outfit, borrow one. A bad fitting suit still looks better than none at all.
3. Don’t attend assuming you will walk out with a job offer. There are too many people that attend fairs and too few positions. The odds are not in your favor so don’t go expecting that you are entitled to a job.
4. Don’t blend in to everyone else. Find a way to stand out and be remembered. This could be with a smashingly green tie or something else that relates to your industry, either way you have to be able to market yourself and your abilities. Show employers that they need you, not just want you.
5. Don’t shy away from networking with both employers and those in your shoes. If anything else, career fairs are a way to network and build those relationships that can pay off at some point. A discussion with an employer this time around may not produce results but if you make a way for them to remember you, then the next time they have a position they can call you up for an interview.

How have career fairs benefited you? Tell us about your experiences in the comments below the article.

Photo: hirevents.com