How to Stand Out at a Career Fair

How to Stand Out at a Career Fair Career fairs are incredible opportunities for candidates. Dozens of companies gather in one place, offering the chance to explore more jobs and internships in one day than a job seeker might get in a month of submitting resumes online.Many employers even conduct on-the-spot interviews, which means candidates dont have to wait weeks or months after submitting an application to actually speak to the employer. Additionally, career fairs are great networking opportunities. Even if a candidate isnt interested in a position with a certain company at the time of the fair, the connection is there to be leveraged in the future.However, because career fairs offer so much, theyre often swamped with candidates. It may seem impossible to stand out when theres such a large crowd, but youll do great if you follow a few simple guidelinesPlan AheadAccording to one study, 47 percent of candidates are eliminated from the running because they have little or no knowledge of the company with which they are interviewing. As a professional and qualified candidate, you should never go into a career fair blind.Find out in advance what companies are going to be at the fair. Have an idea beforehand of the ones with which youd like to connect,and know exactly which positions you want to discuss. Wandering around looking for something that seems interesting is a waste of both your time and the recruiters time.After youve researched the companies youre interested in, create a game plan to tackle them all. Decide in advance which booths to visit first and where you should head if the lines are getting long. Remember that time is limited at a career fair, so standing in lines should be avoided whenever possible. You can always move on to the next booth on the list and come back later.Look the PartA career fair is basically a series of short, personal interviews, and what you wear in an interview matters 65 percent of respondent s to a surveysaid clothes could be a deciding factor between two practically identical candidates.When attending a career fair, dress like you would for any other formal interview but make sure youre wearing fairly comfortable clothing. Heels or a stiff suit might be okay for a sit-down interview, but career fairs involve a lot of walking and standing.In addition, dont bring much more than your resume with you. A small bag for essentials works fine, but you dont want to be encumbered by a coat, briefcase, or anything else that might get in the way of handshakes and business cards.Sell YourselfThebrief interviews you have at career fairs are not the saatkorn as formal, sit-down interviews. The recruiter probably wont ask a series of questions to find out more about you.Instead, youll need to use the interview to sell yourself.Before the big day arrives, practice talking about yourself to friends, colleagues, or even in front of the mirror. You should discuss your interests, your qual ifications, and anything else thats relevant to the position.In addition to what you say, make sure youre taking note of how you say it. Body language and tone can make or break an interview, so make an effort to sound friendly and confident. Recruiters want to hire people they would get along with, so showcasing your personality as well as your qualifications is a must.Perfect the art of the quick pitchthat covers all the relevant information you wantprospective employers to know. Before the fair, write down everything you think youd like to say. Then, edit the pitch down to only the most vital information and rehearse until you can confidently deliver it.While career fairs are full of recruiters looking for great candidates, there may be dozens of candidates in attendance who are just as qualified as you are. This sometimes makes it difficult to differentiate yourself from the crowd. However, if you plan ahead, dress for the part, and know how to sell yourself, and youll be sure t o stand out.A version of this article originally appeared on theClearCompany blog.Sara Pollock is head of the absatzwirtschaft department atClearCompany.