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Photo by Jeff Sanders

Recently, I attended a Career Fair in Nashville, along with close to 2,000 others.  No joke, there were thousands of attendants and no more than 20 booths, 6 of which were colleges, not employers.  I stood in line for more than 45 minutes where I casually listened to the numerous conversations taking place between many unemployed strangers.  The small-talk taking place was mostly nervousness and obvious attempts to size up the competition.  Many were discussing their turmoil to find work and how desperate they were to take anything they could get their hands on.  Others were comparing previous work experiences and offering advice to one another.  A couple of older ladies behind me in line were commenting on how they believed their age would eliminate them from any possibility of getting hired over the “young bucks.”  Another pair were discussing how they should ditch the job search altogether and go back to grad school.

The conversations were varied in nature, but they all shared one common denominator: FEAR.  Everyone was scared.  Everyone was nervous.  Everyone was anxious and unsure of their futures.  Well, these adjectives may not apply to every person in that long line, but fear was in the air, you could taste it.  Fear of rejection, fear of bankruptcy, fear of foreclosure, fear of failure, on and on.  So, what drew so many attendants to this career fair . . . that’s right, fear.  Fear is a motivator for action and it can be a great one.  Unemployed people are full of fear and are constantly on the lookout for a solution to their problem.  Whether they are looking for work to get the paycheck as fast as possible, to build their resume, get experience to pursue a different long-term career goal, or simply to prove to someone else they can do more than recite re-runs of Scrubs verbatim, everyone at a career fair is there to get hired.  However, not everyone knows how to accomplish that goal effectively.  Take it from me, of the around 2,000 attendants, maybe a couple hundred knew how to talk-the-talk and walk-the-walk, everyone else was just a little clueless.  Here are a few career fair do’s and don’ts to get you started in the right direction when you decide to attend your next one.

Do’s and Don’ts

1. DO Dress Professionally – This was a surprise to me but it shouldn’t have been.  I was among a small percentage of attendants who wore a full suit and tie.  This is kind of ridiculous.  If you’re going to a place to impress people, which is what a career fair is, you need to put on your best.  It doesn’t necessarily have to include a suit coat, tuxedo, or prom dress, but it wouldn’t hurt.  First impressions are all you get at career fairs and you need to look your best.

2. DON’T show up late – As I mentioned, I stood in line for a while.  These events are normally packed and you should try to get in as early as possible to get yourself situated near the front of the pack.  Employers are fresh in the beginning and willing to talk longer.  You will have a greater opportunity to explore more options and have deeper conversations if you’re not running late.

3. DO bring dozens of resume copies – Every employer will want a resume and you should have plenty to pass out.  Bring way more than you think you’ll need and try to keep the resume at a 1-page maximum.  Employers don’t want to read more than a single page and they probably won’t.  Keep it short, simple, and highlighted with your greatest skills and experiences.

4. DON’T expect to get hired on the spot – Career Fairs are typically not places to get jobs.  They are places to get your face in front of employers and potentially get an interview a few days later.  The theory is that it’s easier to get an interview from a face-to-face interaction than from a black-and-white resume you submit online or through the mail.  Whether this is true or not is hard to tell, but I personally had multiple offers for interviews simply based on the fact that I was there, dressed professionally, and had a resume.  That’s all you need.  Keep it simple.

5. DO research the types of companies attending – As I mentioned above, 6 of the 20 booths were educational opportunities, not jobs.  Of the remaining 14, half of them were commission sales positions, and the remaining half dozen or so actually had a few salaried positions, but not many.  Do your homework.  Know who’s attending and a little about each of them because they will ask if you know anything about their company.  You should have something to say.  Also, you should know enough to be willing to accept a job if you are actually offered one on the spot.  It can happen.

Are they worth it?

Should you spend your time searching through the thousands of web pages on Monster, or try out a few career fairs?  Answer: yes.  Online applications work (frequently), as do mail-in resumes (sometimes), door-to-door inquires (rarely), persistent phone calls (annoying but effective), repetitive emails (spam – don’t do it), and career fairs (occasionally).  All of them have their place and you should devote some of your job search to a career fair here and there.  If anything, it will get you off your computer and into a social situation where you can meet others struggling right along with you.  And who knows, maybe you’ll land your dream job.  You won’t know unless you try!  Good luck on your career and stay positive!

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Don’t forget to check out my new revolutionary eBook for conquering life after college!

The Clueless Graduate,



Jeff Sanders

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