Xtreme Beginnings 2007 Employment Fair -
Tips For Employers
Connecting with Candidates
Thank you for participating in the Xtreme Beginnings Employment Fair. We are expecting a great turnout for this event. We know your time here is important. Our goal is to help you maximize your exposure to candidates while at this event. Our students may not act the way participants act at other career fairs. For many this will be their first career fair, and it may be a little overwhelming. Typical behavior may include: wandering around for a while trying to decide what to do and who to approach and feeling intimidated and nervous about starting a conversation with a stranger. Our school-based Career Development Coordinators (CDC) have worked hard to help our students get the most out of this event. You, as the organizational representative, can do a great deal to generate interest in your organization and have meaningful conversations with our participants as well.
Here are a few tips that may help you be successful at this Employment Fair.
Preparing
Set a goal and design your entire effort around that aim:
- Recruiting candidates for full/part-time employment
- Recruiting students for internship positions.
- Sharing personal career information and typical steps to success.
- Introducing a new program or service.
- Enhancing image and gaining name recognition.
- Anticipate problems before the event--be prepared for anything (i.e., VCR doesn't work, need electrical extension cords, etc.).
- Take advantage of the set-up time.
Display
- A good exhibit is simply a stage for information exchange - you are the focus, not your exhibit
- When staff do not perform well, it's the booth that communicates.
- Your visual message should give even a casual observer a clear idea of what you do.
- 60% of a person's initial reaction is based on color: 80% choose blue as their favorite:
- Blue = low key and low stress
- Yellow = #1 attention grabber
- Red = high energy
- Green = comforting (unless its khaki)
- Orange = cheap, inexpensive
- Metallic = premium, pricey
- Black = power
- White = good buy
- If you need electricity at your table, bring an extension cord. Power should be within 25 feet of your table.
Literature
Have brochures on hand, but keep paper to a minimum. You can use handouts to initiate a conversation with participants, but it should not be your entire presentation. Their opinion of your organization will be based on their interaction with you more than anything else.
Exhibit Staff
- It's personalities, not the display that visitors remember.
- Make a good first impression - participants will base their opinion of your organization on you. Staff must be very knowledgeable
- Know yourself, your position, your organization, and where participants may fit into that entire scheme.
- Visitors are potentially long-term leads; don't expect an immediate "sale." Participants will get turned off if you try a "hard sell" with them.
- Visitors prefer a short, overall view of what you have to offer.
- Ensure your exhibit is staffed at all times - like it or not, if you are absent, it "shows" you don't care.
- Avoid eating at your exhibit - it takes away from the "professional" look.
- Stand, don't sit, at your exhibit. Sitting in the chair behind your exhibit doesn't connote a sense of excitement and a welcoming atmosphere.
- Wear nametags prominently - we recommend that participants try to get your name/title from them.
- Stay for the entire event. It sets a good example for candidates who are unable to arrive earlier because of other commitments.
- Visit other exhibitors when your shift ends - it is a great way to meet other professionals in your field.
Exhibit
Entertaining exhibits get results - remember, many participants today live in a colorful world of multimedia. If you don't have a wonderful exhibit, it comes down to you to make the right impression.
Questions
- Don't wait for visitors to approach you - be assertive, friendly and sincere.
- Ask passers-by friendly, open-ended, yet specific questions such as: "Are you interested in a career in finance?" or "Do you want to put your communications skills to work in a great career?"
- Based on the response, you can separate leads from tire-kickers.
Demonstrations
- 75% of Career Fair attendees want to see more demonstrations.
- Keep them short and simple, ideally 3 to 5 minutes.
- Participants tend to remember what they visualize and participate in, rather than what they hear.
Multimedia
- Taped presentations should be no more than 5-10 minutes long. Many participants see a Fair as a buffet - they want to explore all their options before getting more in-depth information.
- Participants have only 20 minutes total time in the Employment Fair.
Survival
- Take brief, brisk walks to keep your feet and back from hurting - visit the Hospitality Room often!
- Negotiate for peace with neighbors that have noisy presentations - make it a win-win situation.
After the Fair
Respond to all inquiries personally ASAP to reinforce your good image and to "strike the iron when it is hot."
Thanks for participating in the Employment Fair at Xtreme Beginnings. This Employment Fair was made possible through a partnership between the Wake County Public School System and the JobLink Career Centers.
Wake County Public School System programs are staffed and offered without regard to race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, political affiliation, or disability.