Creating Your Luck at the Job Fair

Job fairs can be seen as a break from the robotic grind of trying to appease a faceless person or artificial intelligence milling through applications and resumes; a chance to connect to a flesh-and-blood person in the field.

But they can also break a job seeker’s spirit by adding to one’s cynicism, watching some employees enjoying their day out of the office just to shrug at you and hand fliers that simply say “log on to our website!”

A job fair may as well be a fishing expedition, and the bites can be few and far between.

But like a fishing expedition, it comes in handy to be prepared for a long day.

You won’t be packing a six-pack of beer, a book and sunscreen on this fishing trip, but these tips should help you tackle the job fair better and perhaps bait a recruiter into going further with you.

Learn about the targets. Try to find a list of all the companies who will be in attendance, then prioritize on who you need to approach first.

Then list alternatives; your preferred company may have a line of rival job seekers.

You may find yourself deciding whether to wait an hour for a certain recruiter that has a deep line, or opt for other tables whose openings may fit your wants and needs.

Having some knowledge about the company beforehand also helps break the ice.

Doing so may let the recruiter understand they do not need to spend valuable time on explaining what their company does. And if you’ve read or heard some recent news about them, you can utilize that in a conversation.

You can then ask deeper questions, making more of an impression on a recruiter going through a sea of faces, as well as spot any potential red flags that could make for an unhappy next job.

Finally, it helps to tailor a resume to the specific employers.

According to indeed.com, you may want to create a specific one for that employer so that the relevant information matches the position and skills the recruiter needs to fill.

Dress appropriately. Remember, you’re a professional. Your attire should be clean, neat and wrinkle free.

Just make sure you won’t get too hot or uncomfortable standing in line or around a room for hours. Your choices in coat and shoes (and comfort inserts in the latter if applicable) is going to be as key as the tie selected or color coordination of your dress.

Save the expensive outfits for the actual interview.

Don’t be a mule. A bulky briefcase or handbag might be too much for the venue. You want to be able to move freely and comfortably.

Items to take might include a light bag or folder that can carry about 20 or more copies of your resume, a pen and paper for notes and business cards.

Make sure whatever water bottles, office supplies or other tchotchkes you pick up from tables do not interfere with your presentation or ruin your resumes.

Electronic displays of your work might be presentable on your cell phone or a lightweight tablet instead of a bulky laptop. Make sure those are charged before you go and that you can access the data in seconds after dealing with screen locks or device snoozes, or that you can have them prepared if there’s no Wi-Fi in the area.

Who dares, wins. It’s the slogan of the British special forces, but it might as well be your motto for the day.

Arrive early if possible. This usually gets you in front of the line and a chance to scout out the environment before the crowd becomes a factor.

A sense of preparation, confidence and friendliness can make a strong first impression. A smile, eye contact and firm handshake (if offered) could further that. Have a 30-second soundbite – an “elevator speech” – ready to tell who you are and what you can offer to a company.

Throw in the reason to why you’re attracted to this potential employer and how you could benefit them, or fulfill an opening.

Keep in mind: tempo and clarity. You might have a line behind you and the recruiter’s time is money, but you’re not rehearsing for a job to speed read legalese at the end of a radio commercial.

The handoff and exit. The resume is more effective when handed to the recruiter at the start of the encounter. You speak about yourself; the recruiter may choose to watch you and listen or look over the paper – and hopefully listen.

But in the latter case, you can point to things that may catch the recruiter’s attention and expand upon that. This can lead them to see a way your presence can impact their company openings.

Remember, you want to convey to the person you are seriously interested in working for their company. You want to add as much as you can in the short time to make your encounter stand out. Ask relevant questions. Inquire about a follow-up interview and steps needed to be taken if the recruiter is showing serious interest with body language or spending more time than they had with previous candidates.

When the conversation is done, be courteous, thank them for their time, and request a business card. Try to get their contact information if possible for a follow-up or thank you note, which is another way to make you stand out from the other candidates of the day.

When it comes to thank you notes, keep them short and if you can, professionally tailor it to the individual and their company.

Finally, and most importantly, follow the recruiter’s instructions on applying for the position offered.

It is best to submit your resume and other information online within a few days of the event so that your name isn’t forgotten.

Article images created by DALL-E 3.

SBPA aims to host job fairs

SBPA is exploring the idea of holding a small job fair at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson as well as El Camino College in Torrance in the near future.

Harold Salas, SBPA president, and Sadhna Singh, training chair, said the group would explore the idea with college officials in early March.

Salas and another member have already visited CSUDH to get the ball rolling and plan on dropping by at El Camino College soon.

If given the green light, the next step would be to round up as many job recruiters as possible to fill the tables, Salas, a CSUDH graduate, said.

The job fair would also help put the organization’s name out for professionals young and old.

SBPA will also meet with the Torrance Chamber of Commerce to get the word out and lure recruiters to participate in the event.

The organization is also planning to have a 15-minute exercise focusing on personal assessment and development, and hold mock interviews with members sometime this month.

“Over the years I have learned many things and one thing I learned is that if you want to make a sale, you need to do a pitch three times and on the fourth you will have a sale,” wrote Salas in an e-mail. “This holds true for cars, houses and getting a job. Why? Practice. The more interviews you are involved in each week, the fresher and more skilled you are at selling yourself.”

SBPA also plans to do more in-person meetings. For the time being, Zoom meetings will still be held for an hour every Monday.

In-person meetings allow for the organization to do more exercises and interactions, both Salas and Singh said. Physical meetings also allow for more time, Singh added.

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Shortest Month is Best in Job Hunting Season

So, the first 31 days of 2024 have come to pass and you still haven’t found a job before Valentine’s Day or the ides of March.

Just because the groundhog of employment didn’t pop up out of the ground and cast a favorable shadow for you isn’t a reason to panic.

After all, it’s just six more weeks till the spring, or thereabouts, if you believe that thing about weather-wise rodents.

According to an article on indeed.com, February is one of the peak hiring months, and still one of the best for sifting through openings.

January is usually a big posting month, and managers begin interviews the following month. However, this takes time and some companies may allow someone to wiggle in as a better option than the initial candidates.

Job seekers should take advantage of the 29-day month (leap year!) to polish their application and communicate with companies that appeal to them.

In contrast, the article states January is a slow month of companies gauging how much resources they will have to allocate and what positions need to be filled, as well as getting holiday cobwebs out of the workplace.

March, by the way, offers extra time to apply – but best not to gamble or procrastinate before the second financial quarter starts in April.

Some more job tips:

1. Create a regular routine. According to a 2021 tips article on Forbes.com, job seekers that started off at the New Year and haven’t had any bites may be losing hope. January is sometimes flooded with applicants. February and March is when that might lessen, and thus improve a candidate surfacing above the rest.
   
   
2. Don’t exhaust yourself. Pace your search with introspection and career improvements to 40 hours a week, as you would in employment, to keep up positivity and balance your home and family needs. Frustration and desperation can gradually creep in if you’re constantly seeing only the same contacts and jobs.
   
   
3. Find any information if the new year is bringing in a change to your occupation’s thinking. There may be new roles, strategies or even buzzwords to have knowledge of. Show that you can adapt to more than a new office, its rules and faces.
   
   
4. Don’t be discouraged if your job search doesn’t succeed in these two months. Be prepared and open to finding new contacts or sources for jobs, as well as adjusting yourself to the needs of the evolving workplace.

Keeping this in mind, good luck with continuing your search.

And remember, the SBPA, EDD and One-Stop are always available to help you.

Article images created by DALL-E 3.

January Recap: Budgeting Between the Jobs

Motivation and commitment might be the coin needed for finding a new job while out of work, but in order to make the money stretch while a person is unemployed, accountability and discipline are needed too.

On Jan. 31, SBPA held a training session on budgeting finances while searching for a job.

Hosted by Sadhna Singh, training chair with the SBPA, the session covered various tips and strategies to make money stretch while looking for a job, as well as preparing for the next jobless drought.

“You want to identify your outflows,” Singh said. “Not only your fixed expenses … rent, health insurance … but also your variable expenses like entertainment, hobbies and shopping.”

Singh said one strategy might be cutting down the number of credit cards to make it easier to keep tabs on spending as well as spotting suspicious activity that could put you further in financial trouble.

In addition, it might be time to cut back on paid services you might have used at work and entertainment, such as specific information outlets and utility programs for the occupation, less shopping with Amazon and its Prime service, as well as nixing streaming or cable channels.

Harold Salas, SBPA president, said calling services such as a cell phone provider and asking if there’s discounts or aid for unemployed is an option, adding he was able to find a deal reducing his cell phone bill as well as tying-in a discount offered for Netflix.

To get your finances in order, Singh showed a series of slides illustrating four primary items to focus on while also searching for the next job.

Slide courtesy of Sadhna Singh/SBPA

To help with budgeting – and getting a Microsoft Excel or Google Sheet template ready to keep track of everything – Singh added you can utilize NerdWallet’s Emergency Fund Calculator and use investment planning services such as Vanguard.

In addition, once you start making income again from a new job, you want to replenish the safety net and emergency fund for the next time life gives you an unemployed phase.

More SBPA in-person meetings?

In addition to the budgeting tips, Salas said at the meeting’s opening SBPA is considering two or more in-person meet-ups each month at the South Bay One-Stop Business & Career Center in Torrance.

Currently the group meets there once a month on the final Wednesday, with prospective new members introduced to SBPA and its services, as well as participating in workshops geared for unemployed professionals and occasional guest speakers.

Five new faces were present on Jan. 31, with expertise in fields such as banking, medical and funerary.

Salas expects the number of new members to increase as the year progresses, noting recent layoffs in the tech industry.

Article illustration created by DALL-E 3.