According to a new study by Oxford Economics, even with a large portion of the United States’ economy heavily clustered within the 10 largest cities, nearly two thirds of total output comes from medium to small sized cities and metro areas.
Looking for a change of pace and new city to continue down your career path? You’re in luck! Whether you seek life on the west coast, east coast or even somewhere a little more remote, there are cities across all regions that are perfect for young professionals to make their mark!
Almost every employee considers making a career move at some point in their life. The best time to make a career move is when you’re already employed. You have the ability to field offers and opportunities with an open mind, your sense of urgency doesn’t over power your decision making skills, and a recent poll on LinkedIn reported as many as 60% of employers preferred passive candidates.
Let’s face it, most job fairs are filled with hundreds to thousands of applicants like yourself that are all chasing the same positions. Standing out against the competition, especially when the hiring managers and recruiters are likely to be overwhelmed by the end of the day can be very difficult. Here are some great tips to help you land a job at a job fair!
1. Come prepared. Sounds simple right? Some simple steps such as dressing professionally, researching which employers will be on hand that you are most interested in meeting with, researching those companies, and having a professionally built resume are the biggest steps to achieving success at a job fair. Many applicants consider a job fair to be a less formal setting and may appear more relaxed in their dress, often run out of a resumes, and can be seen wandering about hitting every booth. Walking with confidence to the locations that you are most interested in pursuing a career with can quickly set the tone for your conversation. Better yet, have a personalized cover letter for each of those employers to demonstrate that you came to the event seeking a career opportunity with them specifically.
2. Have your pitch ready. You’ll likely have 60 seconds or less to speak with a hiring manager or recruiter. Creating a strong first impression is key. Speak confidently, be to the point, and make sure you are express your strongest skills and accomplishments during this time. There is plenty of time in the future to discover what positions they have open currently and what they anticipate for the future. This is your time to convince them of why they need to meet with you formally.
3. Demonstrate professional etiquette. Similar to any job interview you should come dressed professionally, avoid chewing gum, silence your mobile devices, and avoid strong smells such as smoke, coffee, or cologne. Make sure that the employer is focused on your skills and abilities, not something with your presence. Be sure to stand a safe distance behind the candidate ahead of you in line allowing them to speak confidentially with the hiring manager and not making either party feel rushed.
4. Leave with information. After meeting with each employer make any notes from your conversation on the back of their business card. This will allow you to follow up with information that may trigger them to remember your conversation such as “We had spoken in regards to your desire to expand your engineering services into the Phoenix market, that is something that I would have a strong interest in participating with”. Be sure to note any follow up actions that were requested of you such as submitting an electronic version of your resume. Remember to send a personalized thank you card within 24 hours, expressing your continued desire to speak further with them in regards to career opportunities and what you can bring to their organization.
Are you ready to begin a job search? Before spending hours completing the perfect resume, locating interview attire, and searching the countless job boards, take some time to clean up your online presence first. According to behiring.com, as many as 68% of employers will locate you on Facebook alone. Does your Facebook profile resemble the same person you are trying to portray in an interview?
About 1 in 3 employers have rejected a candidate based upon what they learned about them online. Often times your professional strengths, accomplishments, and skill set can be overshadowed by content or photographs located online; quickly costing you your dream job. So what can you do to protect yourself?
· Make your non-professional profiles private. Create separate profiles for your professional and non-professional social networks and keep non-professional profiles private.
While companies are struggling nationwide to obtain the top talent in their industry, most are not willing to take a chance on someone with an online presence that could damage their professional image. Taking a few moments to prepare before marketing yourself could make the difference between yourself and another candidate landing your dream job.
Are you a stand out professional, skilled trades person, or technical professional seeking contingent, temporary, or long term career opportunities? Visit our job seekers section for more information! Want to learn more about how you can gain access to Trillium’s national network of professionals and skilled workers? Contact us today!
Trillium, a national leader in staffing and recruitment is a valued staffing partner to over 5,000 companies nationwide. Trillium is privately owned by Oskar René Poch.
Have you submitted what seems like an entire tree’s worth of resumes and still haven’t landed the job? While applying for multiple positions will certainly increase your chances of landing a position, sending out a resume or CV with certain mistakes can quickly get you ruled out for any position. Here are some quick tips!