Have you been to a networking fair before? If so, you would know how intimidating it can be.
Attending local hiring & networking events is a great way to break into the job market and have some face time with recruiters directly. However, a common challenge that many international job seekers face is standing out from the crowd. Here are some tips on how to do so.
- Dress professionally
In a large crowd, you can choose to stand out visually by dressing well. Dress nicely in order to make a good impression. You can never go wrong with a smart casual dress code. Pick something that makes you feel good and confident about yourself.
- Be targeted
You need to have a goal when you go to a networking event. Have a list of companies you are interested in learning more about. You do not need to talk to all the companies at the event. It is better to be targeted, do all the research about the company, and position yourself as a good candidate to a few companies instead of trying to be everything for everyone.
- Be prepared
Prepare materials like hard copies of your resume and business cards to hand out. At some booths, you will be able to hand in your resume directly to the recruiters. We recommend that you have a conversation with someone at the company first before handing in your resume. This helps make sure that they remember you and your resume is more likely to stand out.
- Do research
Before attending the event, do some basic research about the attending companies. This will help initiate the conversation with them. Mention about a blog post you recently read, news & announcements about the company.
- Make a good impression
Recruiters and hiring managers are often overwhelmed by the amount of information from the attendees. You do not want to make them even more overwhelmed by shooting so many questions or sharing too much information. Start your conversation with a small talk, introduce yourself, ask some questions related to the company and the research you have done. The goal is to make a connection at the event so you can have an in-depth conversation later on.
- Keep it short
In a large social setting, you want to ensure that you are being respectful of other people’s time. Read the other person’s body language to gauge if they are being comfortable with having a longer conversation. Keep your conversation to be less than 5 minutes and end the conversation by asking them for their contact information and thanking them for their time.
- Take notes
After meeting different companies and people, you might get overwhelmed by the amount of information. Take notes right away after speaking to one person or a company. The notes can help you continue the conversation with them next time.
- Follow up
After a networking event, you will come home with many business cards in your hand or some more LinkedIn connections. Send each person you connected with a thank-you note. In your thank-you note, include how you both were connected, reintroduce yourself in a message, and ask for further conversation over a coffee chat.
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