Last Wednesday, we held a special all-technology job fair, in partnership with TechFetch, a nationwide leader in connecting IT job candidates with companies. This event was the first of its kind in our region, and featured 27 hiring companies from Washington State, and 250 job seekers from both in- and out-of-state. The event was buzzing with activity and connections between great candidates and hiring companies.

In addition to allowing job candidates and hiring companies to meet face-to-face in traditional job fair setting, the event featured presentations from Northeastern University Seattle, Foster School of Business Technology Management MBA and the UW Professional & Continuing Education department about their continuing education programs and certification classes.

Attendees also benefited from educational sessions from three local experts on the topics of dressing to impress, strategically managing your job search, and how to avoid common mistakes made by job seekers. Following are some tips from these experts:

“Dress to Impress: Why Personal Style Matters in the Technology Industry”
Darcy Camden, founder and chief wardrobe stylist at Styled.Seattle

Session highlights:

• Don’t wear all black to a job interview. Color makes you more memorable, whereas all black makes you seem boring.
• If a hiring manager tells you to wear jeans to an interview, listen to them. Showing up in a suit when explicitly told to wear jeans doesn’t impress – it only shows that you didn’t follow directions. In fact, very few job interviews in this area/industry warrant a suit these days.
• When you wear something you feel good in, your confidence will shine through.
• When booking an interview, it’s okay to ask the style culture of the office. This will help you decide what to wear to the interview.

“How to Strategically Manage Your Job Search”
Melanie Vargas, managing director at Swift HR Solutions

Session highlights:

• A well-written resume should be a list of your accomplishments – not just your job descriptions.
• Always keep your LinkedIn profile updated, because you never know when you’ll need it.
• Your LinkedIn profile should look even better than your resume. Fill it out with recommendations and accomplishments. Many recruiters conduct the bulk of their recruiting via LinkedIn.
• After an interview, send a thank you note (via email) within a week to everyone you met with during the interview process. Send individual emails and personalize them with references to things you discussed. Don’t send a group email.

“Cut the Crap, Get a Job”
Dana Manciagli, GM, worldwide OEM distribution and reseller channel at Microsoft Corporation

Session highlights:

• When job hunting, you’re the seller and the hiring company is the buyer. Sell yourself.
• The law of threes: in an interview you are allowed to say three things about yourself and then stop! Let the interviewer talk or ask you follow up questions if they need more information. Avoid droning on and on about yourself without letting them get a word in edgewise.
• At the end of an interview, go for the close. Tell them how interested you are, ask if you’re still in the running and find out what the next steps are.
• If you are not 30 minutes early to your job interview, you’re late. There is no excuse for being late. Drive to the location the day before in order to get a feel for traffic and parking. Traffic and parking are not valid excuses the day of your interview.

Did you attend the job fair? What did you think of the presentations? What tips would you add to the list?