Navigating a Job Fair

It’s January, and companies are already hiring for next September… what?!? Job fairs are popping up all over Brock and Niagara, but how do you even go about a job fair??

That’s what we’re here for. At CareerZone, we’re your one-stop-shop to help you nail a job - whether it’s an internship, part-time gig, or full-time career. Job fairs may sound intimidating and nerve-racking - but we’ve got you covered. We’ll go through some common questions and offer our advice from career experts on how to walk away from your next job fair EMPLOYED. 

What do I do at a job fair?

A job fair is an excellent opportunity to not only meet several employers all in one central location - but to market yourself. You’ll walk through the doors with about 20 copies of your resume in hand and see rows of booths where different companies and organizations are looking for the perfect candidate (that’s you). When you see the first booth that catches your eye, you’ll stride with confidence to one of the recruitment officers behind the desk and:

1) Introduce yourself

2) shake their hand and

3) say, “I’m interested in applying for a job with your company. Can you tell me more about it?”

This gives you a chance to take a breath, and listen in on what this employer has to offer. After they’ve finished speaking, they may ask the daunting question, “tell me about yourself.” This is where your elevator pitch comes in.

What’s an elevator pitch?

It’s a 1-2 minute presentation about who you are, what experience you have, and what you want to do in your future. An elevator pitch for a student applying to a part-time job might sound like this:

My name is Meg Smith, I’m a second-year Concurrent Education student at Brock, and I’m passionate about education and youth empowerment. I am completing my first placement as a teachers’ assistant, where I work with students 1-1 to develop their math and literacy skills, making them feel more confident in the classroom. I currently work as a cosmetician at Shoppers Drug Mart, which is a job that I love, but I’m looking for a job that is more related to my field as I aspire to become a primary school teacher.

In this pitch, Meg clearly explained what she’s studying in school, what she’s passionate about, what experience she has that’s related to her passion, her current employment, and why she would like to work for this company. 

What are employers looking for?

Confidence. You’ve got this! Maintain eye contact, offer a handshake, show a positive attitude, and thank them for their time.

Preparedness. Practice your elevator pitch and prepare questions beforehand. Have resumes ready to hand out, and don’t forget to ask them for a business card at the end of your conversation with them.

Follow through. After the job fair, send an email to the employers that you’re most interested in and thank them for their time meeting you. This is also an opportunity to request a meeting to discuss job opportunities further and attach a resume and cover letter so that they have a digital copy as well.

What should I wear?

We suggest dressing in business casual. This includes either dress pants or a skirt with a dress shirt or blouse. You may also wear a blazer or cardigan with this outfit, along with closed-toed shoes. See our “Dress for Success Guide” under Student Resources for more information!

When’s the next job fair? 

• Don’t miss Brock University’s largest job fair - The Experience Expo on January 28, 2020, in the Ian Beddis Jim from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm! 
• The Employable Expo especially for International Students at Brock is fast approaching on February 5th from 1-3pm! Register on careerzone.brocku.ca
• Are you graduating soon? Don’t forget to sign-up for Grad Send-Off, happening February 25th! 

Canada Career Month!

You know how October is dedicated to Halloween and how December is all about the winter holidays? While November is that awkward month where you don’t know what to celebrate? Well turn that frown upside down, it’s CANADA CAREER MONTH! Canadians all over are taking a break between dressing up in costumes and decorating festive cookies to celebrate all the amazing careers Canada has to offer. All of November, we’re here at Career Zone making sure you know about all the career opportunities and resources around you! 

Here’s the schedule for all the fun you could be having with us at Career Zone during Canada Career Month: 

Week 1: Got Skillz?  

The first week of CCM, we’ll be celebrating people’s first jobs (even those embarrassing ones you never want to talk about) and how they kickstarted your career whether you noticed or not! Think of all the skills you gained from the first time you worked.  Talking with different people all day long so they understood your menu or service? You used communication skills! Trying to get all your tasks done on your shift? That’s called time management! You got skillz and we’re gonna show you how to use ‘em!  

Week 2: Back to the Future! 

The second week of Canada Career Month will be focusing on asking advice about your career! We’ll start with our amazing staff here at Career Education and ask them: “If you could go back in time what would you tell yourself 10 years ago?”. Grab a notepad, the professionals today have some tips you won’t want to forget! 

Week 3: Calling all Alumni! 

This week we’ll be connecting with alumni and asking about their experience at Brock and their current career positions. Most alums state that their career path was not a straight line from leaving studies at Brock to their dream career, and they got a lot of help along the way from services like ours at Career Zone! You won’t want to miss this, think of all the paths undiscovered!  

Week 4: Dream On, Dream Job! 

The fourth week of Canada Career Month is all about career exploration and dreaming big!  This week is where the prizes come in – and we’re not just talking about the prize of a great career. Check out our social media and stay tuned for more details!   

Now that you know what you can celebrate this November, we can’t wait to see you exploring your career options with the help of Canada Career Month!  Visit careermonth.ca if you want to get those extra tips this month. Don’t forget to drop by CareerZone in Market Hall anytime between 8:30-4:30 Monday to Friday to see all the exciting pointers and tricks we offer! 

Skillin' it

Think your student job is unrelated to your career goals? Think again. We're here to help you in your journey of identifying important skills so you can leverage them when applying to jobs in the future. 

There was once a young man who attended school by day and then rushed to scoop ice-cream at Baskin Robbins to earn a living. He studied and worked to live the life he dreamed of. This might be an accurate description of almost every student who’s working that minimum wage job to pay the bills. This ice-cream scooper worked hard to become the first African American president that America had ever seen. Yes, the boy is Barack Obama.
To you who's reading this, you’re not alone in this journey! A positive attitude goes a long way in your career path.

Student jobs can be demanding. Take some time to think about how the skills you’re learning while working at the local Boston Pizza gets you one step closer to your dream job or career.

You gave a complimentary appetizer to an unhappy customer? You’re learning to problem solve and take leadership in a situation that may get out of hand. In such a situation, you’re gaining unparalleled interpersonal skills that will serve as a stepping stone to achieve your career goals.

You’re flipping burgers at McDonalds while your friends have gone for a summer beach day? While hanging out with friends can be fun, you’re learning to prioritize tasks that let you enjoy the off days a tad bit more. A strong work ethic takes you one step closer to your dream job!

The jobs you work at as a student will provide you with many skills that you can carry into your future career. Behind every task you do there is also a skill you have used or developed. Don’t undermine or undervalue the work you do. The fact that you are able to balance a job with school work and other commitments is a huge accomplishment! Communication and teamwork go hand in hand with development and success!

Once in a while, have a THINK DAY - envision yourself 5 years from now and pick something to do that your future self will thank you for! Studies have proven that the skills highlighted in this article are some of the key competencies that companies are looking for in prospective employees. It’s never too late or too early to begin working on your dreams! 

Don’t know where to start? Drop by CareerZone and one of our career assistants will be happy to help you in identifying and articulating your skills! We are open all summer, Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm or visit our website careerzone.brocku.ca.