what to bring to a career fair?

[mixedfruit]

I am not sure if I should bring my cover letter or just the resume itself. Should I put them in a folder to hand out or just hand out the "paper"? what about references? copies of my certifications? are those necessary to bring to a career fair? what to expect? interview on the spot? standing around alone? I don't want to look to sloppy.. can anybody who have the experience or know help me? thank you!

[donnasRN]

Hey, I don't have much experience with career fairs, but here are some websites that might help answer some of your questions:

http://www.quintcareers.com/career_fair_checklist.html

http://www.quintcareers.com/job_career_fairs.html

http://careerconnection.osu.edu/posts/documents/Making%20the%20most%20of%20a%20Job%20Fair.pdf

http://www.fox23news.com/guides/career/jobfairs/story/What-you-should-bring-to-a-job-fair/mXyerPwgIkWVFXeS0AEpvw.cspx

https://career.berkeley.edu/Fairs/fairsTips.stm

Hope this helps, best of luck!

[EymieICURN]

I would bring copies of your resume, if you have a cover letter you can bring a few copies of that. I always carry my references with me because you may be filling out Applications and you want to have those handy. I have a Folder with plastic pages and I keep my important certifications and degrees there, but I do not bring extra copies...they can make them if they hire me. I had mini interviews on the spot, but it usually ended in we will call you, or you call us to set up an interview.

The best thing you can bring with you is a friendly smile.

Good Luck

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

Bring stickers with your name/address and maybe email address. They take the place of business cards and are more flexible. Ask for business cards from recruiter.

[KateRN1]

Resume and a list of references on a separate sheet to give to recruiters. (I wouldn't bother with the cover letter. You are meeting them in person, which is generally the purpose of the cover letter--to explain enough about yourself to get them to want to meet you.)

Business cards.

A list of all of your previous employers with addresses, phone and fax numbers, dates of employment, supervisor, reason for leaving, etc. This is handy when filling out applications.

A photocopy of your nursing license, driver's license, and certifications. Try to fit them all on one piece of paper if you can.

A spiel that you can reel off without thinking about it. "Hi, I'm Kate and I've been a nurse for ten years. I've recently returned from living overseas and ready to jump back into the world of American nursing. Do you have open positions in cardiac tele?"

Dress like you are going to an interview. Don't make the mistake of thinking that it's a casual environment and you can wear jeans or not take the extra few minutes to look put-together. Do what you can to stand out, especially if you're a new grad.

If you find a position you're interested in, get the recruiter's business card or write the info down on a notepad that you should have in your purse or pocket. On the back of the card (or on the paper), write down where you met, the position you discussed, and any other pertinent info. Call within two days and remind him/her of what you talked about and ask for a formal interview for the position.

Other things to consider: I always have a leather briefcase that I use for things like this. I picked it up on sale at Office Depot or somesuch store and pretty much only use it for job interviews. If you don't have one and don't want to invest in one, pick up a nice folder or two. I take my resume, references, photocopy of my licenses and certs, a drug book, and a calculator (you never know when you're going to run into one of those skills assessments). Don't forget to have a couple of pens handy, although there's usually some freebies to be had. Make good eye contact, be prepared to talk about yourself and what you have to offer the employer.

Good luck!

[mixedfruit]

thank you all for the responses! i really appreciate it! :)