The Job Fair

A Job Fair is where a bunch of employers get together to take resumes and applications or simply give out information. They will be put on by a specific group like a church, a chamber of commerce or a state job office like where I work. In my 17 or so years of experience they are for mostly entry level jobs. They can be more specific like IT or transportation but this is less common. Let's look at the cons and pros

Cons - Employers are looking to fill mostly entry level positions with entry level pay. They are often crowded with little time to actually speak with potential employers. Some employers are only collecting resumes and applications to fill their databases. Job Fairs can be pretty impersonal. There is lots of competition in one place. It is difficult to get through the crowd for someone like me, with a physical disability. But it is not all bad.

Pros - Usually there are a wide variety of employers; government, universities, large local companies, small companies, different types of staffing agencies and non-profits. There are also organizations giving out useful information. The Job Fair offers a chance to get in front of a lot of employers quickly. Sometimes you can find higher level stuff to apply for. You can make new connections for follow up. It is also good to get out of the house and be around people, in my opinion anyway.

How to get the most out of it. 
Go early, towards the ending time many employers will start to pack up and go. Dress nice. This is not a rock concert or a wet t-shirt contest. To get the role, you must look the part. Bring a pen with blue or black ink. It is also not art class. An application done in cool purple won't quite... make it. Bring plenty of copies of your up to date resume (depends on the size of the job fair). If your address and phone number are not correct, they are not going to hire a PI to track you down, no matter how good the rest of the resume may be. Be sure your resume is up to date and has your current contact information. Don't buy the expensive paper. Regular paper will be fine for a Job Fair. Difficult as it may be, maintain a good attitude. Being unemployed is no fun. But know it will pass. I know this sounds like common sense, but many fail to follow these steps and can wind up hurting themselves more than helping themselves.

So...
Arrive Early.
Dress professionally.  
Blur or Black Ink Pen.
Plenty of copies of your resume.                 
Stay positive.