5 Things to Do at a Job Fair (and 5 Not to Do)!

One of the questions we are asked by many job seekers is what to do at a job fair, so we came up with a list of 5 do's and 5 do not's that should make your job fair experience more productive.

Do's

1. Do prepare before the event. Research the companies that will be attending. The fact that you know about the recruiter's company will go a long way toward getting you an interview.
2. Do talk to every recruiter at the event. You never know what a company may be looking for. You might not think your dream job is digging ditches, but "Ditch Diggers, Inc" might be looking for an IT professional at their corporate office. Even if the recruiter doesn't have a job that is a good fit for you, the process of talking with the recruiter is great practice.
3. Do sell yourself to the recruiter. Don't just ask or answer questions, have a 30 second pitch ready to present to the recruiter. Tell them what you can do for their company.
4. Do take something away from the every conversation. Any "inside" information you can uncover will help you on follow-up interviews.
   
5. Do follow up. Write a thank-you note, email another copy of your resume to the recruiter with a cover letter (you did pick up their business card, didn't you), and visit the company's website for more information

Do Not's

1. Do Not show up in cut off jeans and a tank top. Even if you are applying for a job as a "beach bum", this is not appropriate interview dress.
2. Do Not break in line. While you are obviously the most qualified applicant for the job, Bubba the bouncer may not agree. Be patient and wait your turn.
3. Do Not explain to the recruiter that you lost your last job because everyone at your former place of employment was an idiot, they all had it in for you, you really didn't steal that much from the company, and you are considering taking them to court.
4. Do Not cruise the tables looking for "goodies" that the recruiters may be giving away. If you are more interested in that Great 10 cent pen than an actual job, the recruiter will know.
5. Do Not cry at the job fair. Job Fairs are a No Cry Zone....especially if you are a big, hairy guy with tattoos and a leather jacket (it's tough to dry your tears on leather).

Job Fairs are a great place to meet face-to-face with recruiters. Be prepared, talk to everyone, and keep a positive attitude.

The Interview That'll Bag A Job!

As we prepare for the upcoming Job Fairs in Greensboro and Charlotte we were searching for tips we can share with job seekers. We came across this great article, "The Interview That'll Bag A Job!" in the online edition of The Wall Street Journal.

The article shares several great tips from recruiters on what you should and shouldn't do on your job interview. Tips like "Don't appear desperate", to "show you've done your homework on the company" are all useful tips to remember when you land that interview.

We suggest thay if you do have an interview scheduled, read the article for some last minute tips.

And don't forget that a great way to get an interview is to attend one of our Job Fairs. You can find out more about our upcoming events and pre-register and upload your resume at http://www.employmentguide.com/browse_jobfairs.html . We're expecting 15 to 20 companies, like AT&T/ Yellowpages.com, Bojangles, Terminix, NASCAR Tech, Nouveau Riche, Vanderbilt Mortgage and many others.

So if you're looking for a new career opportunity, be sure to attend the job fair, do your homework, ace the interview, and land that great new job.

5 Job Seeker Tips! Resources for Job Seekers in the Carolinas

1. To help you in your job search we post our weekly print publication - The Employment Guide online for the Carolina cities? You can look at and download our print publication every week and find jobs in your area.

2. You can also get job alerts emailed to your inbox. This way you don't even have to go to our website to search for the jobs being posted in your industry, we'll send them to you by email.

3. We also keep a list of upcoming job fairs all year long. You can find a list by going to our website and clicking the job fair tab along the top. From there you'll see job fairs that are in your city along with ones we've scheduled across the country.

4. As an added bonus you can also find us on Facebook and Twitter. Here you can follow us or be a fan to get the most recent updates on our job fairs, job openings and other job seeking tips and advice that we might have to offer to help your job search.

5. We also host the North Carolina Job Seekers Group on LinkedIn. You can network with recruiters and job seekers from throughout North Carolina.

Best of luck!

Career Expo Events - April 25-30th

If you're looking for a job in any of these fields or seriously considering switching careers and need some extra training, ECPI College of Technology has a Career Open House coming up spreading over April 25th - 30th. You'll be able to see live demos and presentations to really get a feel for what the job will be like. The expo is also free.

Some of the career fields and industries that they'll cover are:
Technology:

• Network Security
• Electronics Engineering
• Database Programming

Business:

• Business Administration
• Criminal Justice

Health Sciences:

• Medical Administration
• Medical Assisting
• Practical Nursing
• Medical Imaging Technology

Times and locations are:

Saturday, April 25: 10am - 4pm
Charlotte, NC 28208 - 4800 Airport Center Parkway
Columbia, SC 29210 - 250 Berryhill Road, Suite 300
Concord - Charlotte, NC 28262 - 124 Floyd Smith Drive
Greensboro, NC 27409 - 7802 Airport Center Drive
Raleigh, NC 27613 - 4101 Doie Cope Road


Monday, April 27: 9am - 8pm
Charlotte, NC 28208 - 4800 Airport Center Parkway
Concord - Charlotte, NC 28262 - 124 Floyd Smith Drive

Monday, April 27: 2pm - 7pm
Columbia, SC 29210 - 250 Berryhill Road, Suite 300
Greensboro, NC 27409 - 7802 Airport Center Drive

Tuesday, April 28: 9am - 8pm
Charlotte, NC 28208 - 4800 Airport Center Parkway
Concord - Charlotte, NC 28262 - 124 Floyd Smith Drive

Tuesday, April 28: 2pm - 7pm
Columbia, SC 29210 - 250 Berryhill Road, Suite 300
Greensboro, NC 27409 - 7802 Airport Center Drive

Wednesday, April 29: 9am - 8pm
Charlotte, NC 28208 - 4800 Airport Center Parkway
Concord - Charlotte, NC 28262 - 124 Floyd Smith Drive

Thursday, April 30: 9am - 8pm
Charlotte, NC 28208 - 4800 Airport Center Parkway
Concord - Charlotte, NC 28262 - 124 Floyd Smith Drive

You need to RSVP online or call 704-339-1010!