By Veterans Transitional Services

On March 19th from 11:00am to 3:00pm , the Miami Herald is hosting the Recruit Military Career Fair at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. This is but one event that is being produced across the country in an effort to help veterans connect with employers. These job fairs are a great way to find out what employers are looking for, and a way to meet the people that make the hiring decision. Here are a few things to keep in mind when attending a job fair.

First, take a look at the event to see the list of employers that you might be interested in talking to. Before the event try to pull up information on the internet about these companies so that you walk in knowing something about what they do and what they stand for. You can get this information on the company website or simply Google the company name and see what appears. Another idea is to search the local paper website and look for articles that have been written about the company. By having this information in advance you will know what questions to ask as well as have comments to make concerning the company that might help you distinguish yourself from all the applicants.

Second, have your "elevator speech" ready and if at all possible change it up so that it fits to the companies that you are interested in. In a previous post I wrote about how to develop an opening speech that I called the "elevator Speech". If you have not read it please scroll down and take a look. Now, assuming that you have the speech ready tailor it so that the person that you meet takes notice of you. In other words, you want to make sure the company you are interested in actually has a position available that you can do. For example, you do not want to begin to talk about an entry level position if after doing your research you find that they are not looking for entry level candidates. However, just because this particular company does not have any openings in what you are interested in does not mean that the person you are talking to can't help you. Remember that these folks know other folks that do the same thing at other businesses. So by having your speech ready you can ask them to refer you to someone they know that is looking for people with your qualifications. You could simply say, "I know that your company is not presently looking for ____ but would you know of anyone else that you feel I should talk to that could have use for someone like me". You will be surprised how many times people will say "yes", and give you a referral that you would not otherwise get or know about simply because you asked.

Third, take the time to write down who you talked to and something about them on the business card or flyer that was handed to you. You are going to talk to a lot of people and at the end of the day it will all be a blur. Take the time as soon as you finish speaking with them to jot down some key points so you will remember later. Then follow up with a phone call or note the very next day. Some studies out there have suggested that only 5% of people ever follow up. That means that vast majority simply hope that their resume will be enough for them to be called in for an interview. You can push yourself ahead of the pack by simply taking the time to call them at their office, and thank them for taking the time to speak with you. At the same time you can emphasis that you are still very interested in having the opportunity to interview formally with them.