How do you get to the real interviews at a Job Faire? The competition can be significant, but you can help yourself leap out from the herd with advance planning. At AA-Careers, we have a simple 6-step process to get ready. Planning to go? Here’s how to prepare:

First, research the companies that are going and pick your targets. Use the World Wide Web to check out the companies that are there beforehand. Go to their sites and see if they have their jobs listed. Pick a moderate number to go after, and get ready to spend an hour or more researching each one. It’s hard to do more than 7 in a day, and three to five is a much more reasonable target. For each hiring company, you want to know: recent news, key product lines, and contacts you know. Try to see if you know anyone at the target companies. You will end up with with a page or two of research for each company/job.

Second, if there are job openings on the web, read them to see what the hiring manager is looking for. Create a mapping of your accomplishments and skills to the requirements of the job. Make the nomenclature match. If the hiring company calls customers "clients", your resume should do the same thing. The achievements should be written in the style of the hiring organization.

Third, create a ‘thumbnail sales pitch’ for each potential organization/position combination. Write down a 90 second ‘thumbnail’ that you can repeat out loud describing why you are a key prospect for that job. You’ll use this in your resume and when you meet the company at the job booth.

Fourth, modify your resume for each position. The objective on your resume should exactly match the job you’re going after. The executive summary should be a written form of your “mini sales pitch” for the job. Then choose the achievements and skills that most clearly match the job requirements. Especially at a Career Fair, the purpose of your resume is a sales tool for you – to get you on-site job interviews. It should be simple to see that you’re a fit based on your resume.

Fifth, dress and prepare as if you’re doing on-site interviews. Dress nicely and be properly groomed. Don’t overdress (this isn’t a date!) and don’t underdress (no jeans or t-shirts, no matter how much you paid for them). Avoid strong cologne or perfume.

Finally, practice your ‘mini-sales-pitch’. Collect your research and the resume for each opportunity – bring a couple of copies for each – and put each in a understandably labeled folder. Keep them in a lightweight briefcase or folio.

Remember to smile, and good hunting!