Let us be honest: Attending a career fair can be intimidating. Look at those who have the power to give you a job in one day! Also, look at those who want some of the very similar jobs you want. No one would blame you if you feel overwhelmed.
Start by considering that recruiters are also people like you. Then, keep in mind that you are unlikely to provoke a job offer on the spot from any of them. Put all these things together and you will lessen the stakes for yourself and do what might assist in your career: have a great conversation.
Simple to say, yes but what you say when you are face-to-face with a tired recruiter who has already spoken to 50 other candidates today? At a career fair, your objective is to collect the info you should decide if the role or the company is right for you, while also leaving a great impression that could assist you in getting one step closer to grabbing a job.
Here are a few questions that will help you to do so.
Ask about a specific role- Most of the people will come up to a table, greet hello and give a little intro about their background, and then ask, “Do you have an open role?” Sometimes, the recruiter will say, “We do. Kindly check the website.” This is not a powerful way to increase your time. And it gives the impression to the recruiter that you did not take enough time to do research about the company and you are not serious about the job. You should not be one of those people. You can stand out away by taking a different approach altogether. Spend some time in looking at the list of companies who are attending, finding a handful that seems most attractive to you, learn about them, identify any roles that seem like a right fit for you, and ideally submitting your application before you attend the interview. Try questions like:
- Is the role you currently have listed more focused on?
- What are the job responsibilities?
- What are the challenges in this role?
- Who is the reporting manager for this role?
- What is the team’s goal for the coming 6 months?
Enquire about the hiring process- A one-on-one conversation with a recruiter is also a great chance to glean some info and calibrate your expectations for hiring procedure. Recruiters want to ensure that things should match culturally. In this regard, try questions like:
- What is the hiring process?
- What are the different stages involved in the hiring procedure?
Ask about their total experience- One of your main objectives behind attending a career fair should be to use it as a starting point for building long-term relations. Make sure you don’t talk about yourself every time. Be intuitive and curious about the other candidate. The person with whom you are talking to works in the same company. If possible, ask them about their experience in the company. Ask questions like:
- How long have you been working in this company?
- What do you like the most here?
- What is your favourite thing about your job?
- What are the challenges you have faced in this company?