Going To The Fair? Then Act Like It; 5 simple rules for attending career fairs.

I have attended countless career fairs, benefits fairs, recruitment event, hiring events, whatever name is the flavor of the day. It never ceases to amaze me how unprepared many if not most, of the attendees are for such events. Especially because the fliers for most of these events lay out some guidance for those who would like to attend.

Number One: Dress appropriately! This means arrive looking as if you are a professional in your field of choice. At a Minimum, wear clean blue jeans, clean boots and a nice clean, collared pullover shirt. At the top of the scale, a clean , conservative, well fitted/tailored suit. Consult with a tailor if you aren't sure, as they are the subject matter experts.

Number Two:  Bring some copies of your current general resume (remember, bullet pointed, tailored to the industry you are pursuing). The modern twist on this rule is you should bring your resume on a thumb drive, saved in several ways. Save your resume as a Word document and as a PDF file, just in case.

Number Three: Pay attention to personal hygiene, and Keep Your Breath Fresh!!! ...enough said.

Number Four: Don't be a wanderer! Preregister for the event, so you will receive a list of employers attending. This allows you to select and prepare to speak to your employers of choice. Once you have selected the employers, do some research on them, so you present yourself as informed and sincerely interested. This step also allows you to maximize you effort, wasting little time on mission accomplishment and will put you leaps and bounds beyond the competition.

Number Five: Before departing for the event, go through the checklist to make sure you have heeded rules 1-4. Upon arrival go to the restroom and check yourself in the mirror, (check your breath, eat a mint anyway, better safe than sorry). Take time to map out where your destination employers are located. Again, this will help you to focus your effort.

Best of Luck, and Happy Hunting!