Finding a job can be a daunting task if one doesn’t leverage opportunities. Due to the competitive nature of the job market is becoming a necessity to play the numbers game in order of each desired results. It’s become more important to take advantage of opportunities where a job seeker can leverage their time. Attending a job fair is one way to make more meaningful connections with prospective employers. With anywhere from 10 to hundreds of opportunities the rules of the game change to making an impact within a short period of time. The key to making the most of this situation is through deliberate preparation before the event happens. Through this preparation will magnify the number of meaningful contacts they make rather than just making contact.

It’s important to have a short two to three minute mini speech about yourself that can be delivered at a moments notice. But hundreds and even thousands of people going through the job fair you may only have two or three minutes with each employer and you want to make sure that you leave them with the most important points about who you are and what you have the offer. One could argue that the information is readily available on the resume that you give them but it’s more about making an impact to generate interest for them to actually read the resume. For more connection or impact that you make on them increases the odds of them remembering you when it’s time to contact candidates to fill their positions.

Ideally you would have already identified the top 10 or 20 companies that you want to make sure that you connect with before you enter the job fair. The reason you want to have a short list is so that you can make sure you see them all, get your questions answered and make your impression. You want to make sure you have an attention grabber or a trigger to help them remember who you are when you do your follow-up work. This can be achieved through asking well thought out relevant questions or if thinking outside of the box and doing something different to set you apart from everyone else they’re seeing that day.

Tags : Job Fair, Job Market, Positions

Changing careers can be a very difficult, especially in this uncertain economy. Your reason for changing careers will have a lot to do with how well you transition. Are you changing industries or just positions? Are you staying with the same company or moving to another organization all together? Have you made this decision because you want a change of pace or is the change based on unemployment?

In human nature it is a given when we are forced to take an action not otherwise considered, resentment may become a factor. Your attitude towards your career change will make or break your experience. Be sure you are at peace about the decision. Even if it is not your decision try to accept the potential benefits that will come from the change. Common career changes include industry change; position change and entrepreneurship.

Changing industries can be the most complicated. If you have 5, 10, 15 or 20+ years working in a particular industry, you might feel out of your comfort zone in a new industry. Not to worry however. If you are going to a new industry with the same position or title, then you will only have to become familiar with a new commodity and company. In such cases your acquired skills are transferable and the transition will be a smooth one for you. Your focus will be to learn and understand the product or service your new company offers. If your new position and company have nothing to do with your experience then you will need to prove how your experience and education can be used to succeed in the new role.

A new position within the same company or the same industry is the easiest of career changes to make. This means you already have a solid understanding of your industry and will only have to become more familiar with a new aspect of the business. Moving laterally within a company, adds to your overall experience, creates job security and keeps your benefits in place. You now meet the requirements for your old position and the new one. In addition, it always looks good on a resume to show that you took on more than one role in a company. Though a lateral move might not come with more pay or perks, it will certainly give you a new perspective, challenge and perhaps keep you employed if your old department is being phased out.

Entrepreneurship isn’t normally considered a career change, but it is. If for any reason you have decided to leave your full time or part time position to start your own business, then you are indeed changing careers. You may be branching off from your current occupation, or a side gig has turned into a full time opportunity. A career change to entrepreneurship can be extremely smooth if you were conducting business part time before taking to the next level. If your venture is brand new, be sure to conduct a lot of research.

Tags : Career Change, Employment, Positions