Blog Post: Prepare Yourself to Stand Out at the Next Career Expo!

Having just had a Career Expo for the Los Angeles market last week, I have been reminded of just what employers are looking for and knew I had to share it here!  The San Diego Career Expo is in just two weeks at the San Diego Convention Center on Wednesday, May 28th, and with the expectation of record breaking job seeker attendees, now is the time to start putting yourself together so that you are the one who stands out at the event.  Below I have put together what I hear time and again from employers, and what you need to know before you go.

Appearance - we can't emphasize it enough that being dressed professionally is the first step to impress, and seeing as how appearances create many first impressions, don't let yourself fall short!  Guys, this means a clean pair of pressed dress pants and a button down dress shirt, maybe even a tie or a suit if you really want to stand out.  Don't forget to polish your shoes and tame your hair!  Ladies, we have more options but the basic guidelines still apply; clean, neat, polished and professional.  Make sure your skirt is knee length or longer, make sure your blouse isn't too low cut, and wear attractive but reasonable shoes (don't forget the convention center floor is all concrete!).  For everyone, make sure you get rid of the gum, silence and tuck away your cell phones and bluetooth ear pieces, and gather your resumes together in a neat portfolio so you've always got a free hand to reach out and shake the hand of your next potential employer!

Research - You can find the list of attending employers here, go through the list and start targeting the companies you know you want to talk to.  Take that list and start by checking out our website and their company site so you can familiarize yourself with the positions they have listed, and then do a little research on the company themselves.  Where have they been, where are they going, why do you want to work for them and how well you would fit into the company.  If you see a great position you know you'd like to have, make sure to bring that up when you speak to them at the expo - employers LOVE not having to ask what you're looking for, but talking to someone who already knows!

Resumes - The majority of companies at the event will be accepting resumes and you will be best prepared if you have one ready to go.  Make sure you've had at least a couple other people look it over, and you can also find great tips here.  If you are still concerned about how it looks, make sure to visit our free resume review at the event, running from noon to 4 pm.  If you bring your resume on a cd or jump/usb drive, we will have computers on hand where you can make the updates from the resume review and feel confident handing it out at the event.

Professionalism at the event - Please remember to respect the company representatives at the event and to use your time with them appropriately.  If possible, children should remain at home, as should any large rolling cases or backpacks that can only making moving around the job fair more difficult.  And finally, I know that I love a free pen and hard candies as much as the next person, and employers do have these in their booth to help get the word out about their company through marketing, but if you seem like you are just there to get the candies and the pens, employers won't take you seriously.

The opportunity is yours, seize it and do everything you can not to let it pass you by!  Stand up and be noticed and that wonderful career will be yours!