A job fair is a place to go to get first-hand information when looking for a job.

It’s a chance to meet employers and speak to the people who are at the forefront of recruiting. Yes, the freebies are a perk and the free chocolate is great, but this is a big chance to get yourself out there as a keen, interested job seeker and potential new employee.

How to find a job fair next to you

There are job fairs up and down the country all the time and if you attend a school or university it will be easy to find out information about the logistics of these; try your college/university website or societies. However, if you are a single job seeker that wants to go to an event on your own, the best way to find out information is on the internet. Just by typing ‘Job fairs near me’ you will be able to see what job fairs are happening around you, or you can visit a website like The Job Fair Network which is an official site for job fairs in the UK. Here you can find all the information you need – specific date, times and locations of the job fairs.

Before the job fair

Before attending a job fair, do your research. Know what companies are going to be there and create a list of which companies you want to talk to and are interested in. Being informed about the company beforehand is a good way to come up with relevant questions and make a great first impression.

On the day

On the day it’s important to present yourself well, in appearance and how you interact with recruiters. Be polite and friendly but also remember you are talking to a recruiter, so still keep it professional.

Take your CV along to the event, so you can hand it out at any given opportunity. Also, it’s handy to bring a notebook with you. There is a lot of information to process and to remember, a notebook will enable you to keep track of who and what you talked about.

Be prepared to talk about yourself. Recruiters like to ask open questions. You should be able to answer them with the best response you can. So be prepared for questions about your work abilities and skills, personal attributes and past employment or experience.

After the event

After the event, follow-up with any new contacts immediately. Show them that you are interested. Let them know how good it was to meet them and ask any questions you may have missed or even send them a targeted CV and cover letter if you talked about a job opportunity. By getting in contact with the recruiter you can start to form a network which will be very helpful for you in the future and may open up job opportunities.

TOP TIP

Either way, still attending the event is a good opportunity to practice basic interview techniques. It will give you the chance to think about how you will respond to typical job interview questions like, what interests you in this job role? What attracts you to this industry? What skills and qualities do you currently have?