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.

There are many free job search resources available in any community. This is the case in either a large or small city. One of the ways you can search for a job is to attend a job fair. At a job fair you can visit with many different employers seeking to hire new candidates. Job fairs offer you an opportunity to talk to the people in the know. Employers are just waiting to answer your questions. It’s easy to get caught up in the crowds and the confusion. Here’s how to improve your job hunting results when you attend a job fair.

Look over the floor plan of the job fair. Mark out those employers that you have an interest in and plan the most efficient way to visit each one. This way you’ll be able to spend more time with those that interest you rather than wandering throughout the entire job fair. With time left over browse the other employers, you never know when you may come upon something that interests you.

Write out a list of questions to ask the employer’s representatives. Try to put together a list of questions specific to each employer. If the information is already on the web site, don’t waste your time trying to stump the employer’s representative. Look for information on the organization’s work place culture, future plans and career progressions. If the particular employer has no openings that fit your skills and career plan ask for referrals. The employer’s representatives are in the recruiting business and may be aware of other openings that fit your skill levels and job requirements. Get the name of the representative and their phone number and email address.

Take notes of each conversation. You will be talking to so many people that your notes will help you later if you elect to follow-up with a specific employer. If possible, don’t just drop off a resume. Get a copy of the job announcement, and with the information learned at the job fair, draft a specific cover letter, with appropriate changes in your resume, and then mail the application packet to the employer. This way your cover letter and resume will closely fit the announced needs of the employer. Your chances of getting a favorable decision to advance to the next step just went up.

Many job fairs have informational workshops. Check the schedule on all the workshops and make sure to attend all that are of interest. Be prepared to ask general job hunting questions at these workshops. They are generally a good source of job hunting strategies, especially if seem stuck in a job hunting rut. At the end of the job fair, you’ll have a briefcase full of information, and hopefully a number of employers that have job openings that fit your skill set. If anyone helped give you a possible job referral send them a thank you note. Begin immediately writing appropriate cover letters and redrafted your resume to submit for possible job openings.