There’s a Job Fair coming to town and opportunity is coming along with it. Unlike most fairs, this one won’t cost you a dime.
You’ll have a chance to meet company representatives from across the state who set up booths and organize materials with the express purpose of meeting people like you, hard-working, dedicated, skilled people who have the potential of making a difference in their organizations.
If you want to maximize that opportunity it’s going to take time and effort. You’ll have to present yourself effectively and make a compelling case succinctly. For that, you’ll need a plan.
Making an effective presentation doesn’t require a radio voice, Hollywood looks, and a salesman’s mentality. It necessitates careful consideration to what you want, why you want it, and what difference you can make to a company that you want and wants you.
And yes, it requires that you look the part of who you say you are and intend to be, and that you have the ability to persuade through the words you choose and the ways in which you choose to use them. If you’re lucky you’ll have 60 seconds to make your case, if you’re not so lucky, you’ll have 30. Choose your words wisely.
Looks count. You’ll get one chance to make a first impression and this is it, so think about what you want others to see when they look at you. If the job you want is one in which you are enabling others to get their work done as a result of your ability to streamline processes and organize procedures, present yourself and your materials in a way that suggests order and organization. If the job you seek is one in which you meet and greet the public and are the public face for a private company, be sure you know how the company sees itself and wants to be presented, and dress and act accordingly.
No matter what job you seek, dress like a professional, with careful attention to your personal grooming. Arrive washed and fluff dried, hair combed, teeth brushed, and eager to meet your potential employer.
Select shoes that fit well, and clothes that are neat, clean, and well pressed. Stay away from colors, combinations, fragrances, and jewelry that are breath-taking or eye popping. Keep it simple. Everything you wear should work together, so that you look together, an expression that describes how you feel as well as how you appear.
Cell phones? Leave them in the car. Friends and family? Leave them in the car, too. You have work to do and you want to focus on it, not them.
Resumes and business cards? Take plenty of each, pencils and a paper, too.
How you speak is as important as what you say. Psychologist Albert Mehrabian’s research into spoken communication suggests that 7% of meaning is in the words we speak, 38% of meaning in the way we say them, and 55% of meaning in our facial expressions. Therefore, know what you want to say and speak from your heart and as well as your head. Breathe, relax, smile, talk and listen as someone who is as fully present and comfortable with themselves as they are their material.
Challenge yourself. If you’re good with words but not with grammar, get better, get a tutor. If English is your second language, and it needs to be your first, get better, get a tutor. If computers aren’t your thing and they need to be, improve your skills, get a tutor.
If you’re a big picture person don’t aim for a miniature job. If you’re a stickler for details, stick with what you know.
There’s a Job Fair coming to town. Make the most of it.
