Do some groundwork

Obtain a list of companies attending the fair and do some research on the ones you are interested in. Cover basic things like - products offered, geographic coverage, key clients, recent/expected performance, management team, company culture/vision/mission and so on. By doing this you can ask intelligent/meaningful questions to company representatives, about matters which are not publicly available

Carry supporting material

Make sure you have enough copies of your resume, reference letters, samples of your work and any assessments you have taken

Dress appropriately

Know the attire of the profession you are interested in an dress accordingly. In general, aim for conservative business attire

Have your speech ready

Prepare and practice your one minute sales pitch, which highlights your main strengths and why you can be a valuable asset to the company

Follow-up

Make sure you send a thank you note to employers you met with, within one day of the fair. Mention how you enjoyed meeting them, re-state your main qualifications/experience and why you would like to work for the company and finally, express your keen interest for a second interview.

Some other tips

You want to make the most of your time spent at the fair. Some simple things can go a long way in this regard

• Decide on the order of interviewing. Some experts suggest meeting with your top choices first thing in the morning, interviewing with your other choices in the middle of the day, and returning to your top choices at the end of the day to thank them again for their time. Remember to stay a bit flexible though, as your top choices may be the top choices of many, creating long lines that you may wish to avoid


• Don't interview or spend time with companies you are not interested in


• If waiting in line to meet a company, grab a copy of the material they have at their stand, so you can read it before your turn comes


• Do a little bit of networking with others at the fair, such as executive search firms and other job-seekers. You never know where a job-lead might come from

Amit Puri is the Managing Consultant at Sandbox Advisors. He has over 10 years of business and HR related experience, with companies such as Bain & Co, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup. Sandbox Advisors is based in Singapore and provides career management and HR consulting services in Asia.

Courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap, a content exchange service sponsored by CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students looking for internships and recent graduates seeking entry-level jobs and other career opportunities.

Originally posted on Confessions of an Executive Restaurant Recruiter