Cattle Call

How will you "stand out" when you dress like everyone else at a job fair?

I don’t like job fairs.  I know they’re important if you are trying to advertise your name and skills to prospective employers.  Experts give you ideas on how to stand out (use different color folders for each different employer, don’t use standard white paper, business cards, etc.). 

With that in mind, do you still get the feeling that a job fair is akin to a cattle call?  they shepherd themselves into one area, everyone dressed the same, behave the same, and approaching the job fair the same way? 

David Siegel, a University of Iowa senior, majoring in marketing, and an avid golfer, pens a blog titled MKTG Innovations.  David has the same sentiment I have about job fairs, in that it’s good to stand out with a resume that catches an employer’s eyes, but Siegel adds one more thing you need to consider doing… 

…don’t dress like everyone else. 

"You have a great resume, but you look like all of the other sheep. How can I distinguish you from everyone else?"

Black suit, blue shirt, red tie, black shoes, etc.  You don’t stand out because if one cow (or sheep) looks like the other one next to it, everyone will look the same. 

Change up your outfit.  No, it doesn’t mean you can roll into a job fair with a jumpsuit like the Mafia, or too much makeup on like Bozo the Clown.  How do you get an employer to remember you, besides your business card and resume?  Give them a visual picture of you.

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