Job Hunting Tips for Job Fair Events

Research Employer Background and Make a Priority List for Target Employers
 

Job seekers should speak with the career center at their schools in order to obtain a list of employers attending on-campus job fairs. Based on this information, job seekers should then make their own prioritized listing of employers of interest.  The individual employer listing should rank the employers in order of the likelihood they are to hire them. Since it is unlikely that any job seeker will get an in-person interview with every single employer attending the fair, those people looking for work would be wise to target those employers that are more likely to hire them so as to save time, energy and resources. 
 

Prepare a Short Introductory Speech

Employers are most likely to hire those job seekers who they think are more likely to add value to their organizations. As such, the job seekers’ ability with respect to communicating can be a key factors in getting interviewed or even get hired. Candidates should develop the ability to persuade the hiring managers and their decision makers that their skill sets can positively influence their employers’ organizations.  Because professionals who work in different industries have and use different jargon and communicative styles, it becomes very important for the job seekers to practice their interview skills with various professionals first in order to receive a more accurate assessment of their communicative skills and to discern whether the manner in which they communicate is a good suit for particular industries.

Prepare Cover Letters/Resumes Targeted for Different Industries

In order for job seekers to have the most possible options, they should have several different versions of their résumé ready, each of which targets a different industry.  Even though these résumés might be written differently from each other, they should of course all contain truthful information about the person’s biography and accomplishments.  In particular, these résumés should clearly describe those events in the applicant’s professional and educational life in a manner targeted to the job the applicant seeks to attain. Strong résumés should be able to clearly convince the hiring managers and other related decision-makers of the fact that the candidate has the requisite experience to make a positive contribution.  On the other hand, if improperly presented, the job seekers’ current work experiences can limit them to working in industries that they have previously worked in.

Understand the Needs of Hiring Employers

Before you attend a job fair, job seekers should spend plenty of time researching information about the employers they are interested in. This research should include knowing something about their employees, their current openings, and potential openings. Even when the job seekers don’t know anybody who works at a particular employer of interest, they should at least introduce themselves to those people who work in the company, befriend them online initially, and invite them to official professional meetings. Also, job seekers should research the issues that the employers have been facing and thereafter the job seekers can address how their skillsets address effectively the needs and concerns of the employer. Companies are more likely to hire those people who have a better prospect of solving the issues that their organization is facing. Thus, the more likely it is that job seekers can solve their problems, the more likely it is that the job seekers can get hired.

Pierson Job Searching Progress Chart

Job seekers can use the Pierson Progress Chart to monitor the status of their job searches. Even people not currently looking for work should read any materials that offer evidence-based advice for job searching strategies. Indeed, job seekers, in all stages of their job searches, are more likely to land their dream jobs if they are equipped with more effective job seeking strategies.

I procured the chart from “Highly Effective Job Searching Strategies,” written by a well-known career consultant, Pierson.  In today’s recessional economy, everyone needs to be knowledgeable and possess highly effective job searching strategies so as to navigate better these uncertain times.  Pierson, the career consultant, has produced a book based on his many years of experience in career consulting.

The Pierson Progress Chart is divided into three types of job searching effectiveness measurements: total hours expended, total number of letters written, and total number of contacts. By organizing and analyzing job searching data in this format, job seekers can more easily see for themselves how best to maximize the effectiveness of their job search. 

The Pierson Progress Chart begins with the number of hours one spends on job search activities, including job search education, research, letters and administration, and networking. “Job search education” includes activities such as studying evidence-based job searching strategies designed to improve the outcome of the search. “Research” includes activities that involve investigating background information pertaining to employers of interest. “Letters and administration” involves the number of hours that one expends writing and organizing notes related to a job search. “Networking (phone)” and “networking (in person)” refers to the number of hours that one spends expressing one’s job seeking interests to others.

The “total letter” section and the “total contact” are intended to measure the number of contacts made with the intention of getting jobs.  What makes the “total contact” section different from the “total number of letters” section is that the total number of contacts focuses particularly upon the employer of interest. By focusing more on the target employers, one can improve the chances of landing the job of intention.  The “total number of hours” includes the number of hours that one spends on any type of job search, not only on the target company.

The “total contacts” section is designed especially for recording the number of contacts made with employers of interest. The forms of contact for the target company can be divided into three major sections: Target Company Miscellaneous Contact, Target Company Peer Contact, and Target Company Decision Maker/Above. In the section for “Total Contact,” it helps job seekers to become more involved in communicating with the decision makers and peers, who work in the target company, in order to get the interviews or even the offers.

I am writing this essay on Pearson’s Highly Effective Job Search Chart in order to help jobseekers gain a quick review and understanding of the sections of the book that will help them the most. I highly recommend that everyone read the “Highly Effective Job Search” by Pearson if you would like to study these concepts in greater depth. I will continue to write several essays on the topic of job searches. I have become very interested in becoming a coach myself. Perhaps writing this job searching essay for you will be my first step in becoming a better business professional.