March 4, 2026 Leave a Comment

How to Succeed at Job Fairs

A step-by-step guide on how to leave a lasting impression on employers

It can be difficult for job seekers to stand out amongst other applicants when all an employer has to evaluate them on is a resume. While a resume is an important document that includes relevant information like experience and technical skills, it doesn’t showcase a person’s interpersonal skills or personality, which can only be done in a one-on-one conversation.

Job fairs offer an excellent opportunity for job seekers to meet directly with and impress employers before they even submit a resume. Employers who attend job fairs set up tables which are staffed by recruiters willing to answer questions, discuss open job roles, and accept resumes. A successful conversation with a recruiter or even with a fellow job seeker can create an important professional connection that could lead to future job opportunities.

Speaking directly with employers – and the preparation required beforehand – can feel a bit overwhelming. For that reason, JVS Toronto has created a helpful guide on how to succeed at a job fair.

Before the Job Fair: Get Prepared

Step 1: Read the job advert very carefully

This document or webpage will include important information, such as which employers will be attending the job fair, location, time, and details on how to register.

Step 2: Research the employers

Learn more the employers to properly assess which ones meet your career goals and to create thoughtful questions to include in your conversations with recruiters. Remember to avoid asking any questions that are answered in the job description or on the company’s website.

Step 3: Prepare your resume

Update your resume and LinkedIn profile prior to attending the job fair. (Be sure to include your LinkedIn profile’s URL in your resume.) Print multiple copies of your resume to hand out at the job fair, and even think about creating resumes tailored to the employers that interest you the most.

Step 4: Write an elevator pitch

Create a short introductory statement – about 30-60 seconds long when read out loud – that highlights your key skills, experiences, and suitability for an employer’s job openings.

Step 5: Practice makes perfect

Practice delivering your elevator pitch and answering mock interview questions to better prepare yourself for speaking with recruiters.

AI tools can be useful when preparing for a job fair, offering assistance with crafting an elevator pitch, practice interview questions, or organizing your research on employers. But remember, AI is merely a tool, and it’s your personal touch that will leave a lasting and meaningful impression on employers.

During the Job Fair: Make Connections

Step 1: Before you arrive

You want to appear clean and professional when meeting the recruiters. Make sure you are well-groomed, wearing professional attire, and have a comfortable pair of shoes. (Job fairs involve lots of standing and walking.) The copies of your resume and employer questions should be stored neatly inside a folder or portfolio.

Step 2: Arriving at the job fair and approaching employers

Arriving early to beat the long lines and speak with recruiters at the beginning of the fair, which is when they’ll have the most energy. Approach recruiters with confidence by smiling, making eye contact, giving a firm handshake, and introducing yourself clearly (the elevator pitch).

Step 3: Speaking with recruiters

Use this opportunity to learn more about the recruiter’s employer, showcase your experience and skills, and create important professional connections that could help in your job search.

Here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind when speaking with recruiters:

Keep your mobile phone on ‘silent.’
Maintain eye contact during your conversation.
Don’t talk about salary or benefits as this is merely an introductory conversation.
See if they’re open to connecting on LinkedIn
Have a LinkedIn QR code handy to easily share your profile.
Ask the thoughtful questions you prepared in advance.
Keep the conversation short and to the point.

If the conversation is going well, but the recruiter has a line-up of people waiting to speak with them, ask if they’d like to continue your chat over a brief, 15–30-minute phone or video call. Once you’ve finished speaking with a recruiter, take notes on job names, job titles, and any other important details from your conversation.

Step 4: Network with your fellow job seekers

Meet your peers and learn from their experiences. While they may not be employers, networking with the other people at the job fair could lead to unexpected career opportunities.

After the Job Fair: Follow Up

Step 1: Apply promptly

If you discussed a specific job role with a recruiter, make sure to submit your application as soon as possible.

Step 2: Send follow-up emails

Reach out to the recruiters you spoke with to express your gratitude for their time and continued interest in any open job roles. Keep the email short and reference your conversation from the job fair.

Step 3: Follow-up on LinkedIn

Send connection requests to the recruiters and job seekers with whom you spoke. When you send the connection request, include a brief message that references your conversation at the job fair.

Step 4: Reflect on your experience

Look back on the conversations you had with the recruiters, thinking about what went well and what you could improve on.

All of these follow-up activities should be completed within 24-48 hours after the job fair while the conversations you had with the recruiters and other job seekers are still fresh in their minds.

Job fairs are a powerful tool in a job search, offering job seekers a great opportunity to learn about the jobs available in their community. Not every conversation will lead to a job, but every connection made strengthens their professional network.

Click here to access JVS Toronto’s events calendar to see upcoming job fairs.

July 25, 2024 Leave a Comment

Impress Job Interviewers with the Best Questions

When consulting to job seekers to help prepare them for upcoming job interviews, I often hear concerns about how to answer interviewer questions, choosing suitable interview attire, as well as where to find company information. While these are all very important, I have noticed that candidates often forget to think through which questions that they will ask in an interview, often treating this aspect of interviewing as an afterthought. An otherwise good interview can be undermined by a candidate who sounds unprepared, or who asks questions that come across as selfish, greedy or disinterested.

WHY ask questions in an interview?

Many candidates ask questions in interviews simply because they are expected to do so by the interviewer(s). However, keeping in mind that interviews are a two-way process in which both employer and candidate have a decision to make, this opportunity can be very useful for interviewees.

Interviewee questions can be useful for the candidate to:

learn about the job and company
learn more about the job and its challenges
gain information about the culture of the company
gain insight into the expectations of the employer from the person in that position
showcase their interests and expertise, to further impress the employer about their suitability for the position

WHAT are the best questions to ask?

To make a strong impression, candidates might choose questions about:

1. the position (that were not covered in the job posting), such as :

What personality would be ideal for this position?
What are the challenges facing this position right now?

2. the company (that were not covered on the website or posting):

How would you describe the company culture?
What are the primary priorities for the company right now?

3. the candidate’s suitability for the position:

How do my qualifications compare to the ideal requirements for this position?
What do you think is missing from my resume for this position?

4. the hiring process:

What is the next step in the interview process?
When can I expect to hear from you?

Additional sample questions can be found in this post on this topic at the About Job Search site.

NOTE: not all questions are harmless — some questions can really undermine the credibility of a candidate, such as those that make the interviewer feel that the candidate is asking only out of a sense of obligation (such as questions to which the answers are easy to find on the company website) or questions that sound selfish or greedy (such as questions about benefits).

HOW to prepare the questions

I recommend to candidates that, before a job interview, they:

prepare a number of questions which they could ask (approximately five questions, from which they can pick the most suitable 2-3 at the interview)
type out and bring the questions to the interview, in a folder where it can easily be found (no need to struggle to memorize the questions — it just adds to the stress of an interview)
have paper and pen ready, to take any notes that seem necessary

WHEN to ask the questions?

Candidates need not necessarily wait to be prompted to ask questions. Candidates who are able to initiate asking questions during the interview skillfully can come across as assertive, confident and able to take initiative.

To sum up..

Interviewees who ask questions that are carefully chosen, well-informed and appropriately timed can have a competitive advantage in an interview, leaving a solid and positive impression, which can go a long way to influencing the final decision of a potential employer.

April 30, 2018 2 Comments

Video interviews: How to impress Canadian Employers

We don’t need to tell you that interviewing for a new job is stressful. The experience of having to sit down in front of an employer and answering unknown questions can raise the anxiety of even the most confident job seeker. Interviewees worry about what they are expected to say, and whether they will mess up and make mistakes. For an already anxious job seeker, online video interviews brings a whole other level of unnerving challenges. CanPrep has assembled a panel of experts who share their advice on how to prepare for video interviews including:

Do’s and don’ts during the interview
What employers focus on during online interviews
The right way to follow-up after an interview
Personal success stories of being hired through online interviews

[Read more…]

April 30, 2018 4 Comments

References required! How to gather references that’ll help you get your next job

You know you have successfully passed the interview stage when the employer finally asks for references. It’s an exciting moment. And it’s a little frightening, as well, because at this point you no longer have influence over the job application; you are dependent on other people being available, willing and able to talk about you convincingly.

Employers’ expectations regarding references aren’t necessarily consistent (just like every other aspect of the hiring process). Sometimes, employers ask for them at the end of a good interview, sometimes they call for the reference list after the interview, and other times they don’t want them at all. Sometimes, employers ask for references up front, in the job posting.

So what is a job seeker to do? [Read more…]

November 6, 2017 Leave a Comment

What are employers’ attitudes toward tattoos and piercings?

In 2011, an Ipsos Reid poll conducted for Global Television, found that over 20% of Canadians have at least one tattoo on their body. And more recent evidence has shown that this number is increasing as more young people are choosing to get inked. Body piercings also seem more prevalent these days. Despite the rise in popularity, should job seekers still worry about negative attitudes toward tattoos from employers?

Just like many other job search concerns, there is no single answer. Employers’ expectations about tattoos and piercings are as varied as they are; it depends on the type of company, its employees, and the nature of the specific job the candidate is applying for.

A recent Salary.com survey assessed peoples’ perceptions of the impact of tattoos and piercings on employment. It revealed that the vast majority (76 percent) felt that tattoos and piercings hurt applicants’ chances of being hired, with many (39 percent) believing that employees with tattoos and piercings reflect badly on their employers. Many (42 percent) also believed that visible tattoos are not appropriate at work. Despite the high numbers of people with negative attitudes, there still is a large proportion (60 percent or so) of people who are open to to the possibility of tattoos not necessarily being inappropriate or reflecting negatively on employers.

As with everything, there is no hard and fast rule about employers’ preferences, except to consider that employers like to hire candidates that seem like a ‘good fit’ with the company and its customers. For example, it’s a safe assumption that the more corporate the employer, the more likely tattoos and piercings will be frowned upon. It is also likely that older employers are more likely to hold old fashioned judgments about them. Conservative industries such as banking and law might be more critical of candidates with visible tattoos or piercings, whereas more creative or alternative sectors might be more open. It also may depend on whether the job to which you are applying involves facing customers, and who those customers may be – if the customers you might be serving are more likely to have tattoos, then perhaps the company would not mind if you have visible tattoos, as well.

So, what is the best advice for job seekers about tattoos?

Think carefully about who you are expecting to be interviewed by and what their attitudes might be. If possible, check out the workplace before going for the interview and assess what the staff, and customers, look like. If you are unsure, it may be a safer bet to cover up visible tattoos or piercings for the interview until you know more; you don’t want your appearance to be a distraction from the real assets you bring to the interview and the job.

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