I had already composed a list of the companies I was most interested in visiting, from the list I had obtained before going to the event, and then from the complete list given to me upon entering the expo. I went to those booths, introduced myself, and provided them with a copy of my resume. In some cases I was asked to fill out an application, and was told I would be contacted if my experience and education matched what they were looking for in a candidate. I tried to shake hands, make eye contact, and speak confidently to make a good impression, I asked questions about the company, and I took business cards from the people I met, so I could send a follow-up email to remind the company of my presence, when they looked at my resume later on.
The most successful of my efforts involved one company that I interviewed with on-site. I gave the company my resume, was told to check back in twenty minutes, found that I had passed the first step, and waited to discuss my experience and position an interviewer in...
I discovered that I had gone to the same high school as her daughter, so this was one 'point' of successful connection that I made.
I attended some of the general, informative sessions which were staffed with a number of representatives from different companies and industries. It was interesting to see the diversity of positions present in, for example, the communications field, that I was unaware of, and to see what a professional from that field 'looked like.' Overall, next time I attend such an event, I think I will focus on events more specific to one field, rather than a general expo, and concentrate on finding a smaller venue, so that the experience will seem less overwhelming, and less like a warehouse. I think this will improve my ability to make a good impression to the people I meet, as well, even if I may interact with fewer numbers of individuals. At times, both the job seekers as well as the representatives seemed quite overwhelmed, which was counterproductive to the nature of the event.
