One of my closet recruiter colleagues says that job fairs are for the “unemployed and unemployable”. That’s pretty harsh but there is definitely some truth to it. Of course, if recruiters didn’t actually hire people from job fairs then one would have to question the existence of the job fair industry. There is value for both the job seeker and the potential employer. I recently attended the SPIE Photonics West Career Fair in San Jose, California and noticed some interesting things.

Following are my observations:

For Candidates

1) Candidates were often almost completely unprepared. Most but not all had printed copies of their resumes in-hand. Attending a job fair without printed copies of your resume is not smart.

2) Many candidates asked me what my company did. This question is the equivalent of saying “I did absolutely no preparation and are you interested in hiring me?” If you’re headed to a job fair then you should research the companies that will be there.

3) Some candidates dressed in rather bizarre ways. I’m all for business casual dress and you’ll rarely find me dressed any other way but come on people! Meeting a company representative at a job fair should be considered an interview.

4) If you’ve ever been to a job fair you should have a fairly good idea of the kinds of things a recruiter will want to know. Be prepared to give short and to the point answers to questions. Lots of people are looking for work. How will you distinguish yourself from the masses?

5) Respect the job fair recruiter’s time. If there is a line of people behind you, it doesn’t make sense to try to monopolize the recruiter’s time. Sell yourself, get to the point, and ask about the next step. Then get out of line. You can always return during a slow time.

For Recruiters

1) Prepare your table in an appealing way. You’ll need some sort of display to feature your company. You’ll also need something to give to candidates with your company name and contact information featured prominently. Let candidates know how to apply online at your site.

2) This may sound crazy but you should always have at least one company representative at the table at all times. This can be a challenge if you only have one person at the fair but it doesn’t work to have candidates coming by to speak with you if you’re not there.

3) Leave your laptop and other electronic devices at the office or the hotel. Your focus should be on the candidates and not on your email.

4) Greet everyone in a friendly and courteous manner. This should be easy for recruiters since we’re naturally outgoing people.

5) Ask for a resume from everyone.

6) Ask every candidate to apply online at your corporate site.

7) Make notes on the back of resumes so that you’ll remember the strong candidates who you’ll want to contact after the job fair.

8) Be careful what notes you write just as you would be back at the office. You are careful what you write about candidates aren’t you?

9) Remember that job fairs can be fun. Keep your focus on right now and not on your trip home.

Job fairs can be hard work for recruiters and candidates. However, if you’re going to invest the time and effort to attend you may as well make the most of it!