A job fair (also known as a career fair or career expo) is a recruiting event in which employers and recruiters meet with potential employees about job openings. It is an excellent way to meet a large number of potential employers at one time. These job fairs not only provide employment opportunities, but also provide a network for career exploration and professional development. Specifically, they can be really helpful for landing remote customer service jobs.
Job fairs can be hosted in-person or virtually. If in-person, job fairs are often organized in large rooms where employers set up booths that display company information. A company usually sends several team members to manage their booth - they can speak to current job openings, the application process and anything else regarding the organization. Virtual job fairs (or remote job fairs) are very similar but they are hosted online instead of in-person. You can usually see who is attending ahead of time and set up time with companies you’re interested in speaking with.
A good way to find job fairs is to search online for one using something like “remote customer service job fair” or "virtual job fair near me". Eventbrite typically has a few options each month - we suggest searching for virtual job fairs (or in-person job fairs) on that website and finding one in your area.
What do Companies and Job Seekers Expect at a Job Fair?
- Companies participate in job fairs to promote themselves and increase exposure with job seekers. Companies will typically advertise for any job openings they have and they might screen candidates for those jobs at the job fair. It’s a good way for companies to find and hire highly qualified applicants on the spot.
- So what can job seekers realistically expect from a job fair? Job fairs are a great way for job seekers to scope-out employers and to gather company information. They are also a convenient way to apply for jobs with several companies at once. Job seekers may even get an interview or get hired at a job fair. At the very least, they are a great opportunity to network and meet people who are hiring.
- Employers invest a lot of time and resources to participate in job fairs. As such, companies appreciate job seekers who are well prepared and have a professional attitude. Job seekers appreciate company representatives who are easy to approach and have clear answers to their questions. If employer representatives and job seekers both prepare adequately, job fairs can be great successes for everyone!
How to Prepare for a Job Fair?
- Get Prepared: Learn about the companies participating in the job fair before attending and familiarize yourself with their products and services. You can learn about the companies by visiting their websites and social media pages, and reading their customers’ comments and opinions. This information will help you choose the ones that best suit your qualifications and career aspirations.
- Identify Job Opportunities: After identifying the companies that match your interests, focus on the specific role you prefer (such as remote/virtual customer service representative). Look at the job details and learn about the requirements and skills needed. Knowing these details will help you focus on the jobs you can apply for, and prepare for a potential interview during the fair.
- Prepare Your Resume: Prepare your resume in advance of the job fair. When you write your resume, use your knowledge of the requirements of the participating companies, and incorporate them. You can rearrange the content of your resume for each company you want to join to focus on experiences and skills you believe are most useful to the company. Keep it brief and put the most important information first, to help the employer’s sorting process.
- Get Ready for Interviews: Do research on the company and jobs you’re interested in so you know what to expect if you get an interview. Prepare answers to common interview questions and practice your communication skills. If you’re interviewing for a customer service role, it will be important to focus on the requirements of that role such as answering phone calls and interacting with customers/clients.
What to Do at The Actual Job Fair?
- Be Personable, Confident and Well-Prepared: For jobs like sales and customer service, companies want to see that you can represent them in an appropriate way to their customers. So, your behavior, appearance, self-confidence, and ability to attract their representatives’ attention are important factors in their initial evaluation of you. You may succeed in earning a job interview during the job fair, so make sure you are dressed in clothes appropriate for meeting prospective employers. Bring several copies of your resume so you have this handy if anyone requests one.
- Prepare and Target the Right Companies: If the job fair is in person, take a quick initial tour to locate your target companies’ booths, and make a game plan on how you’ll visit each booth (and in what order). If the job fair is virtual, you can see which companies are attending ahead of time and try to set up virtual meetings at specific times.
- Attend Relevant Seminars: Some job fairs provide seminars and interactive meetings that reveal different companies’ reactions to job seekers. If possible, attend such events to benefit from expert advice and take part in discussions. Some of these seminars can be a valuable opportunity to draw a company’s attention to your qualifications and interaction skills. Asking an appropriate question may give you the chance to have a conversation on the side with an employer who may find your behavior and skill set appropriate for what their company needs.
- Act Professionally: Treat companies’ representatives and managers politely and respectfully to get the best response from them. If someone gives you advice, thank them warmly and accept it with an open mind, even if you think it isn’t exactly suited to you. When you get the chance to interact with company representatives, do so immediately, but be careful not to be overly friendly or overconfident, because leaving a good impression should be your first concern.
- Refine Your People Skills as You Go: Try to assess your interaction with each company before moving on to another. Otherwise, you might end the day repeating unnoticed mistakes. Try to learn from each interaction with a company representative, evaluate how your questions and replies were received before using them with another company.
What to Do After the Job Fair?
- Evaluate Your Experience: Once the job fair is over, it is important to analyze the experience as a whole. Reflect on how successful your interactions were and identify your mistakes, to improve your performance next time. You may be able to attend more than one such event in a year.
- Stay in Touch: After the job fair, do not forget to communicate with company representatives you met, and learn about the job or training opportunities they might have available. You can also re-contact companies and let them know that you are still interested in their opportunities. Your follow-up communication will give companies a good impression of your determination and enterprise, indispensable qualities in the labor market.
Are Job Fairs Helpful in Landing a Customer Service Job?
The answer is simply YES. Job fairs can be an excellent way to meet a large number of potential employers looking for Customer Support Representatives at one time. These fairs not only provide employment opportunities, but also provide a good opportunity to network for customer service roles in the future.
So, attend a job fair and let us know what you think. Are there any other tactics you would add to our list above? We’d love to hear your feedback: coaches@earnbetter.com
