Mirror Indy’s guide to attending a job fair

Have you ever wanted to go to a job fair, but felt underprepared or too intimidated to show up?

It can be tough to know exactly what employers are looking for or how to get the most out of the experience.

Like, what exactly is “professional clothing?” And how do you prepare to approach an employer and start chatting?

Mirror Indy talked to six career coaches and employers about their tips and tricks to make the most of going to a job fair. Here’s what to know:

Before you go

Going to a job fair is about more than just showing up. Doing some research ahead of time can make or break your experience.

Make sure you know not just when and where the job fair is, but who’s hosting it and what employers will be there.

Community and neighborhood organizations tend to invite a variety of employers to their career fairs. Most will post a list of companies and organizations that’ll be there.

Looking up a few different employers to learn about open positions at each company and what skills those jobs require can also help you make the best use of your time when you arrive.

“Some events get very crowded,” said Beth Bowling, manager of workforce development at IndyGo. “I think if you have a game plan going in there of who you want to talk to, you can prioritize those folks. That will help you be most successful.”

Dress to impress

There’s no hard and fast rule for what to wear to a job fair. But it never hurts to put some thought into your outfit when going to meet employers.

Tammy Thomas, employment services manager for Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center, recommends using “clean, neat and organized” as guidelines for your job fair outfit.

On the most basic level, that means nice slacks or a skirt, a blouse or button-up shirt and dress shoes. Your clothes don’t have to be expensive, Thomas said, but they should be clean and modest.

“This is the first time you’re going to meet somebody, and those are the things that people are going to remember,” Thomas said.

But it also depends on the industry you’re interested in. If you want a job in construction, it’s helpful to wear jeans and work boots to job fairs and interviews.

Devon Doss, executive director of Indiana Plan, a program that helps prepare people for union construction apprenticeships, said dressing that way helps employers immediately visualize candidates on the job site.

In his classes, Doss is honest with his students about the construction industry’s preconceived biases — and ways to overcome them.

“Especially with women and young people right out of high school, it really helps when they dress like construction workers,” Doss said. “Passing that eye test is very important.”

Dress for Success

What they do: Provide free professional women’s attire.

How to get help: Complete a self-referral form in English or Spanish.

In Pursuit Of

What they do: Give free men’s professional attire, such as suits.

How to get help: The organization prefers referrals from community organizations, but you can fill out a contact form to request help.

Center Township community closet

What they do: Provide free clothes to Indianapolis residents, including formal and professional clothing.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every other weekday

What to bring

Even though we live in a digital age, career coaches still recommend bringing printed copies of your resume to job fairs — and even job interviews.

“Technology has its own mind sometimes,” said Ros Morris, talent acquisition coach at IU Health’s Mosaic Center. “The more prepared they are, that helps to put them up there a little bit above other candidates.”

Five to 10 printed copies of your resume should be enough for most job fairs, said Tiffani McLaurin, EmployIndy’s director of talent connection. For larger events, you may want to bring as many as 20 printed copies, depending on how many employers you want to talk to.

It’s also helpful to have a LinkedIn profile and have your LinkedIn QR code available to easily connect with employers as you meet them.

Indianapolis Public Library

What: Print your resume from your phone or computer at library branches.

Cost: 15 cents per black and white page, 25 cents per color page.

WorkOne Indy

What: Attendees can print resumes during Wednesdays at WorkOne events, McLaurin said. Events are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 4410 Shadeland Ave.

Cost: Free

Having the conversation

It can be tough to approach an employer and immediately start talking about yourself.

That’s where preparation comes in. Coaches recommend coming up with a quick elevator pitch to introduce yourself, your job experience and what types of roles you’re interested in. Practice in the mirror, or with family and friends.

That can go a long way when approaching an employer at a job fair.

“A lot of times I’ve had people just hand me resumes, and they don’t say anything, and that to me gives a little insight to what the interview might be like with that individual,” Bowling with IndyGo said. “It’s almost like a precursor to the interview when you’re going to a job fair.”

Make sure to follow up

Be sure to get contact information so you can follow up with employers you meet and are interested in working for.

Thomas recommends following up by email one or two days after meeting an employer at a job fair. In the email, it’s good to reintroduce yourself and say when and where you met them. If you’ve applied for a job or plan to soon, be sure to note that in your follow-up email, too.

“You want to be fresh in their mind,” Thomas said. “They’ve met probably 100 people, and so the people that follow up right away are the ones that they’re going to pay attention to, and they’re going to get moved along in the process.”

Pro tip: Some jobs have something called a requisition number, which is an ID number for an open position. If you notice a requisition number while applying, coaches say to be sure to include that number in your follow up email to help employers easily locate your application.

Planning to go to a job fair? Here’s our guide on how to prepare.

Before you go