Tips for Attending a Startup Job Fair

Tips for Attending a Startup Job FairTips for Attending a Startup Job FairWhen you go to a traditional job fair, business attire is in order. If you attend a startup job fair like UNCUBED, you dont need to wear a suit and tie. A better choice for what to wear is startup casual attire. At fruchtwein job fairs, you will meet with professional recruiters. At a start up job fair, you may get to meet with the company founder and you might even have the opportunity to pitch your ideas. Attending a fair or networking event is an ideal strategy for getting a job at a startup. Youll find a more casual environment, with music, drinks, games, and networking and youll have the opportunity to check out and be checked out by lots of different companies. If you a startup in mind youd love to work for, its an optimal time to connect. Its just as important to prepare for a startup job fair though, as it is for a more mainstream hiring event. Your preparation needs to be a bit different. Your social p resence needs to be topnotch. You need to check out the companies in advance, so you know what they are working on and to be ready for a conversation. As with any career event, you need to come ready to make the best impression on everyone you meet. Here are tips for job seekers going to a startup job fair from Tarek Pertew, co-founder and chief creative officer of Uncubed. Read Up Theres a good chance that most of the companies are new to you. Building up your general awareness about tech and digital companies will pay off. Consider the big boys, like Mashable, TechCrunch, andInc. Also sign up for publications like Garys Guide, a list of startup events/meetups, and Uncubed Daily, which includes startup trends, news, and tech career advice. Get Social Youll need a social network presence if you dont have one already. Chances are, youre already on Facebook. You should also be active on one or more of Twitter, Google, Tumblr, Instagram, and Pinterest. Include behauptung handle s on your resume and, better yet, link to them from your website. The company thats going to hire you will want to see that youre part of this space. If you need to play catch up here, its not hard to do - a few tweets a day adds up. You should also follow the companies youll be talking to - theres no better source for news particular to them or understanding their culture. Dress Down Not Up It may say business casual on the invite, but double down on the casual. These companies dont wear suits and rarely sports coats, so you shouldnt either. That said, you should still be put together. So while the expectations are different here, the old rule about first impressions is still in good standing. Be neat, have your hygiene in order and be up-to-date. Think Beyond the Resume Resumes may still be the going currency for job experience, but theyre a lot less important to this crowd. Programmers and designers are better served by linking to their Github or Behance account, or by ca lling out their past projects that are still on the web. For everyone else make a website that shows who you are, what your background is and where youre interests lie. Itdoesnt have to be elaborate, and sites like Tumblr and Wordpress make this extra easy to do. Bring Ideas Its not infrequent that youll be talking with a key person from the company, maybe even the founder. There are few better ways to stand out than to suggest a good idea for their business. Its safer to assume theyve thought of it, which they probably have (after all, theyre likely spending most of their waking hours consumed by their business). But theyll know a good idea when they hear it - and that alone will leave a valuable impression. Make Friends (And Get Business Cards) Youll be surrounded by people looking for their next startup gig or looking to break-in to the space for the first time. Be prepared with an elevator pitch, so that you can give a quick synopsis of your skills and qualifications. C onnect with as many as possible, so you can stay in touch and compare notes. Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn make that simple. To make it even easier, make a basic card with your email, cell phone, and social network handles. These connections could very well be a future access point to an opportunity of a lifetime. Dont Be Intimidated These are companies like any other. Just smaller, fresher, and with a different approach to culture. Be confident in your skill sets and make sure they know how hard youll work for them. Startups love reliability and hustle. Have Fun Events like these are designed to be fun, so take advantage of it. If theres music, get into it. If theres a happy hour attached, go to it and be sure to test out all the products these startups make. Its a lot better than just passing out resumes.