Recently I attended a local job fair and spoke to several of the employers to solicit their response to the following question: "If you were to offer one tip for job seekers attending a job fair, what would it be?" The two answers given most frequently: "Dress professionally" and "communicate what you want and what you have to offer."

Since so many employers mentioned these two things, along with other valuable tips, it occurred to me that it goes beyond common sense and falls more into the category of "we don't know what we don't know".

Following are some valuable tips to turning job fairs into job offers:

Dress professionally. The general rule of thumb is to dress to fit the job for which you are applying. For some this may mean a suit and tie; for others a pair of khakis and a button down collar.

Communicate what you want and what you have to offer. Employers are amazed at how many people attend job fairs hoping the employer will play the role of a career counselor or engage in the game of "20 Questions".
Prepare a 30-second introduction and career overview (your “positioning statement”) prior to attending a job fair. Include the kind of work you do; the number of years of experience you have and in what industry; some of your areas of expertise and/or key skills; what you hope to find in your next job. Write it down and practice it until you can say it with ease and confidence.
Know what the company does. Call the sponsor (s) of the job fair and find out which companies will be there and do some advance research. Find out which employers are the best match for your skills and experience and target them before you arrive.

Plan in advance who you want to talk to and in what order. You probably will not have time to talk to everyone. Look over your research notes and decide in advance which companies would be the best match for your skills and experience.

Bring your resume. You should bring sufficient copies of your resume for the employers you plan to target. Make sure your resume is targeted to the kind of job you are looking for. Employer's ask that resumes are short and too the point and stress accomplishments, not responsibilities. And do not fold your résumé or place it in an envelope!

Ask questions. The main purpose of attending a job fair is to gather information. What do employers look for in an employee? What are some of the current challenges they are facing? What kinds of positions exist within the company? How do they screen and make their hiring decisions? If you attend a job fair hoping to walk away with a job offer, you will probably be disappointed. If you attend to gather information, you will always walk away a winner!

Be aware of proper etiquette. From the moment you enter the job fair, you are "on stage". Do not smoke or chew gum. If there are refreshments, save them until you are ready to leave. Do not bad mouth your current or last employer. Give a firm and confident handshake. Smile. Make eye contact. Turn off your cell phone and/or pager.

Collect business cards, give out your business cards and take notes! Jot down notes while the employer is talking with you. Ask for the business card of everyone you spoke with. After leaving the employer's table, make notes of what you spoke about and what follow-up actions you need to take after the fair.

Follow-up. Send a thank you letter within 24 hours to each employer that you spoke with at the fair. Remind them of which position (s) you spoke about and stress your interest in scheduling a follow-up interview. It might also be a good idea to enclose another copy of your resume or a personal business card that will remind them of your skills and provide them with contact information.

Keep these three objectives in mind as you go through the day: you are there to "network", gather information, and solicit an invitation to an interview. Try to relax and be yourself. Employers hire people they like. Focus on being likable, and you cannot lose.