The Interview Blog

Job Fair Etiquette

I am currently working at a job fair while I write this article.  I love to observe people.  As a recruiter, observing peoples’ behavior is a part of what we do.  In between discussions with potential applicants, here are my observations:

 Observation #1

• The majority of potential applicants who have approached me so far do not know      what they want.  For example, the gentleman that left my booth a few minutes ago responded that he would take anything that I had to offer, he just needed a job.

Response:

• I  am not looking for someone who would take anything that I have to      offer.  Before you go to a job fair,      find out what companies will be there.       Also, find out what positions are available so that when you      approach their booth, you can approach the recruiter with information on      how you can be an asset to the open position that they would love to fill.

Observation #2

• Quite a few people are dressed very casual.  Droopy jeans and a singlet t-shirt, or, a low cut blouse where I can see all your tattoo’s is not motivation that will make me that interested in wanting to bring you to my work establishment for a formal interview.

Response:

• Dress for a job fair as if you were dressing for an interview. I once was hired for a job resulting from a brief meeting with the hiring manager at a job fair. I was dressed professionally and approached the booth knowing what I had to offer the company.  Remember you only have one chance to make a good impression.

 Observation #3:

•  Just finished talking with a young lady.  Within three minutes, I now know her entire life story.  She is sixty-five years old, and has arthritis in both legs, which would prevent her from standing for long periods of time.

Response:

• I don’t have a problem with her age however; I don’t want to know about your ailments.  Do you really think that I would want to hire a disability case before you start day one? TMI – Too Much Information!

Observation #4

•  My next potential applicant has a young baby with her who is tearing my booth apart while I attempt to spend quality time with her mom. I can’t concentrate on my applicant because her baby will take all of my give-a ways if I ignore her.

Response:

• If at all possible, please leave your baby or young kids at home when attending a job far.  Don’t get me wrong, I love children but they can be a huge distraction when you’re trying to discuss career opportunities with a recruiter.

 Observation #5

•  Aaah a sigh of relief.  My next applicant is dressed in a shirt, tie, and a nice pair of slacks.  His approach is professional and his opening remarks are a summary of the skills, knowledge and abilities.

Response:

• Although I may not have a position that matches his skills and abilities at this time, I will hold on to his resume and keep it in my future reference file to be considered when a position opens that fits his qualifications.

Yes these are only a few highlights of the many discussions that I have had today at the job fair. In my opinion, people take job fairs way too lightly.  A job fair is a vehicle for you to find your next position. As I mentioned before, I was hired shortly after meeting the right person at a job fair.  Treat the job fair as an opportunity for you to make a good first impression.  Give it all you got and who knows, you may land your next opportunity.

“The bottom line is this”. I would not have invited you to the interview in the first place if I did not feel that you have the basic skill-set to do the job based on the initial review of your resume.

Too many times, applicants perceive the job interview as a negative event where the interviewer is actively looking for ways to disqualify the candidate from getting their “dream job.” There is nothing more further from the truth. When you arrive for the interview, here is my thought process:

“Hey, maybe this is the one,” or, “I hope that this is the best candidate to fill my XYX position, so I don’t have to spend the next five to ten days interviewing a ton of candidates to get the position filled.”

The reality of the situation is this. I get very disappointed when you arrive to the interview late, you are not dressed appropriately, and more importantly, when you know nothing about the company and/or position for which you applied. This is the experience that too many Recruiters’ face in the interview game, thus the reason for inviting several candidates as a back-up, if the interview with you does not pan out.

I will agree that the interview process can be intimidating. I also understand the nervous jitters that are associated with meeting someone you have never met before, and answering questions off the cuff like you are a contestant in a beauty pageant. The truth-of-the matter is that, if you change your mind-set to believe that we both have a common goal; your goal is to fill the position that I have to offer, and that I am honestly looking for reasons to hire and not disqualify you for a job, you will change your behavior to result in more positive experiences and perhaps get the job that you have been long waiting for.

Here are some practical tips to increase your chances of getting your dream job:

• Change your mind-set to believe that the person interviewing you is on your side. They want to fill the position as bad as you want to get the job.

• The responsibility is on you to come prepared for the interview and to demonstrate how you can impact my bottom line. You can only do this by doing the proper research about the company and knowing as much as you can about the position that you applied for.

• Make the interviewing process less intimidating by getting familiar with the type of interview questions that may be asked. Look carefully at the job description and highlight key responsibilities. Based on the responsibilities, picture yourself as the recruiter and imagine what questions you would ask if you were looking for the perfect candidate.

• Practice answering the questions you develop until you feel comfortable. Think of it like a fire drill. You practice the drill over and over so that when you need to implement the evacuation, you are prepared.

Finally, as you prepare and polish for your interview, envision seeing yourself from the other side of the desk, and go in knowing that you and the interviewer are on the same team, simply

This is usually the final question that I ask a job applicant when I am about to end the interview.

Typical answers that I get are:

• “I really need a job.”
• “I am a really hard worker.”
• “I am a dedicated person.”

The issue is that – the last twenty people that I interviewed said the same thing.

So I rephrase the question. “What makes you the best candidate for the position”? This is the real meaning behind the question, “why should I hire you?” If you have done your homework, and have prepared for the interview by researching the position and the company, the answer that you provide should align your skills, knowledge, and abilities with the job requirements of the position.

Here is an example of a better way to answer the question:

Interviewer : “Why should I hire you for the administrative position?”

Interviewee : “I believe that I fully meet the requirements that are listed in the job description. Based on my previous examples during the course of our discussion, I have provided you with a solid example of my organizational skills by describing how I organized the holiday party for the entire staff at the “ACME” company.

While organizing the party, I had to demonstrate handling multiple projects [list them] to successfully plan an exciting event that everyone would enjoy.

In addition, having to discuss the intricate details while dealing with several vendors indicates that I have the proven track record of excellent verbal and communications skills that you are looking for in a successful administrative assistant.”

As you can see from the example, the interviewee has successfully answered the most important question of the interview by providing specific examples of how they are the best fit for the position.

An answer similar to this will always set you apart from the candidate who just “really needs a job”.

There are still jobs out there?

So how does someone find out about them?

Networking!

As a Recruiter, I can tell you first hand that the majority of the positions that I fill are from internal referrals. More than 75% of the positions that I fill are from internal employee resources.

Advertising a position online, or in the newspaper is the last resort after all of my internal resources have been exhausted. This is why networking is so important.

Networking plain and simple is the process of “talking to people”. Start by making a list of everyone that you know including family members, friends, neighbors, ex-coworkers, etc., to inform them that you are looking for a job.

This is important because if your contact does not know of a current opening, they might know of other available jobs through other contacts.

When your contact informs you of an opening, make sure that you meet the qualifications for the position before you present yourself as a viable candidate. You don’t want to put your friends reputation on the line by applying for any job just because it’s available.

How Does Networking Work – A Recruiter’s Perspective

When an employee approaches me to inform me that they know of someone that could possibly fill my “xyz position”, I am more than likely to follow-up especially if the referral comes from one of my top performers.

For example, this past week, an employee who wanted to confirm that I received the online application from one of her good friends that was in the job market approached me. I immediately took the name, contacted her referral, set up the interview, and I am now considering the referral for hire. In addition, the employee will qualify for a $100 referral award provided her referral gets the job. 

Networking is not as hard as you think

A lot of people think that networking is hard. I hear excuses like, “I’m too shy”, or, “I don’t like to ask for anything.” There is a saying…”you have not, because you ask not.” If you can increase your chances of getting an interview by simply letting someone know that you are looking for a job then why not?

“Sending thousands of resumes is a lot easier,” is what some people say. Statistics show that you will probably get one interview for every thousand resumes sent. In my personal experience when I was job-hunting, I used one of those services where you pay a fee, and the service promises to send your resume to thousands of employers. I thought for sure I would get at least ten interviews. I received NONE!

A Beginner’s Step to Networking

1. Make a list of everyone that you know.

2. Contact the people on your list to let them know that you are looking for a job, and ask for their help?

3. If your contact knows of an opportunity, find out how to apply for the position as more companies now require that you apply online as the initial step in the employment process.

4. Also, get the name of the decision maker so that you can follow-up with them once the initial introduction has been made.

5. Once your referral informs you that the initial contact has been made, call the decision maker to introduce yourself and ask if it is possible to set up a time to discuss the position.

If provided the interview, don’t forget to follow-up with your network and thank them for referring you. Also, make sure that you keep in touch with the your contact as networking is a give and take relationship.