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There’s a campus job fair coming to your school soon. Should you attend? If you’ve been ignoring the invites to these events, here are reasons why you might want to change your mind:

• They provide enhanced exposure. The recruiters know you’re probably not available for work yet, so they are there more to scout for talents for future company openings. If you submit your application now, you can be placed in their active file, a potential candidate to contact once you’re ready to enter the workplace.

• They offer a learning experience. Job fairs often have seminars and forums with expert guest speakers who can give the lowdown on the labor scenario, career prospects, hot jobs, skills in demand and other useful tips you can certainly use later.

• You can get access to free services. Job sites such as JobStreet.com can help you in more ways than one. If you sign up with them, you can avail of free services such as job alerts, e-newsletters and advanced information that can make job-hunting so much faster and easier.

1. Know the fair layout. From the fair brochure or website, find out which employers of interest are joining and where their booths are located. This way, you minimize time and energy wasted on the fair grounds.

2. Bring lots of resumes. Tote along copies of a well-crafted resume (two pages at most), detailing relevant courses and your academic strengths and achievements. If you have one, bring along a career portfolio of your college projects, such as published articles in the college paper or exhibited paintings.

3. Research companies. It only takes a few minutes to get basic data about a company you like through the Net. Read up on its business, vision, products, customers, market, etc. so you can hold intelligent discussions with the recruiter. It’s also a way to find out which companies are employee friendly.

4. Suit up for the occasion. Dress in more formal attire than what you might normally wear to class. Practice a firm handshake, make eye contact and flash a warm smile. Speak clearly and avoid turnoff postures such as fidgeting, giggling or slouching.

5. Say what you want. If you land an on-the-spot interview, be prepared to tell the interviewer the kind of job you want. You needn’t be so specific, but neither should you be so clueless as to say, “I’m available for any opening you have.”

6. Send a thank-you letter. Leave a good impression with the recruiter by writing him a brief thank-you note after the job fair. Aside from thanking him for his time, stress your interest in working with the company in the near future

Strategies for Job Fairs

Job fairs are integral in your job-searching strategy.

They are one of the most effective ways to land jobs. Employers have a large pool of candidates on which to draw, while you have the opportunity to shop dozens—sometimes hundreds—of employers, all in one place.

Job fairs are employers' territory.

With the fair-like atmosphere and so many employers contending for candidates, it would be easy to assume that employers are there for you, and all you have to do is show up. While this is true in a sense, you are there for them too, and you are competing with hundreds—maybe even thousands—of other job seekers. You're essentially in employers' territory, just as you are when you attend interviews at their offices. During interviews, you must leave favorable, lasting impressions in employers' minds, not just résumés in their hands. The same goes for job fairs, but more so. Remember, hundreds of job seekers may have been at the booths before you, and there may be hundreds after. Dress sharp and act professional.

Job fairs are strictly business to employers.

Employers paid big bucks to be there. Even if they have an overabundance of jobs to fill, they are still there to find sharp, qualified employees who have interest, dedication and initiative, and you can't display all that on a résumé alone. To succeed, take job fairs as seriously as employers take interviews. Since they tend to be more casual than formal interviews, you can generally loosen up a little and act more friendly. But body language, manners and other interview professionalisms still count. Read the mood of the employer representative with whom you're talking at the moment, and adjust your professional style accordingly.

Spend some quality time.

While some candidates are trying to win a place in the Guiness World Book of Records for distributing the most résumés at a single career event, you can be smooth talking your way into their ideal jobs. It's much better to spend some quality time talking with only a few, well-targeted employers who are looking for your specific skills, than it is to just toss your résumé at every booth.

Prepare for job fairs.

Be ready to promote yourself, on the spot. As any promoter might tell you, advanced research, knowing your audience, and targeting that audience are key factors in successful promotions. Many job fair promoters have web sites, where they provide information about participating employers and their jobs. For example, BrassRing allows you to search the jobs and read the brief profiles of employers participating in their upcoming events. Take advantage of this by researching beforehand, to target employers and make the most of your time on the floor.

Follow up after job fairs.

Collect business cards from employer representatives with whom you discuss jobs. Within 24 hours, send a thank-you letter to each of them. Tell them how much you appreciate the time they took to talk with you and answer your questions. Mention the name or location of the fair and positions you discussed, and reiterate your interest in working for their companies.

Where to find job fairs.

Check the newspapers or your campus bulletins regarding the coming Job Fairs near you. In most cases, the job fair links there transport you to promoters' sites, where can research and submit your résumé in advance of the fairs, or if you can't attend in person.