Diverse Careers

So you sent your resume, applied for a job, and you scored an interview. You go in, meet with the recruiter, shake some hands, and answer some questions. You know that your interview went really well, but you also know that there's quite a few other people vying for the same position. What should you do to ensure you stay ahead of the pack?

Well, according to some online experts, the number one thing to do is follow up!

Following up with a company you interviewed with not only shows that you are appreciative of the time and effort they spent in meeting with you, it also shows initiative and respect, and it's a good common courtesy to extend to someone. According to Admin Secret, following up is a great added way to leave your mark on an employer- and given the right process, this could definitely benefit your job search.

Here's some expert tips on following up after an interview:

1) Send a follow up email. According to Huffington Post consultant Christine Hassler, it's a good idea to shoot the person you interviewed with (be sure to find out how to contact them before leaving) a brief email stating your appreciation for their time and that you are looking forward to their response. This gives you a chance to open the discussion for follow up- Christine recommends naming a date you'll be calling them- and to re-address anything in the interview.

2) Send a thank you note. According to this article by Admin Secret, only a few interviewees ever send thank you notes- which means if you send one, you have a great chance to stand out from the crowd. On top of that, as mentioned before, it shows you respect the interviewer and appreciate the time he or she took to meet with you. Be sure not to use any flowery, frilly, or otherwise unprofessional stationary- you still want to maintain a professional appearance with the company. And another thing- employers will be interested to know that you have good communication skills- a thank you note (the same with an email) is a great way to show off your writing proficiency, as pointed out by Admin Secret.

3) Make a phone call. After you've sent the email and a thank you note and waited an allotted amount of time, many experts say that it is OK for you to call an interviewer back- just be sure not to be a nuisance. Employment blog Movin' On Up suggests trying to get in contact with an actual person (preferably one who was present at your interview) and avoiding leaving a message. Don't leave too many messages either- keep in mind that it's possible the person you interviewed with may not be ready to contact you.

While good interviewing skills are important, a great follow up could be the edge you need to secure a position with an employer. Second impressions do count, so remember to keep it professional, keep it brief, and please, always make sure to proofread.

The LA Career Fair is rapidly approaching- it takes place this week Thursday, September 23rd, at the Hilton LAX. Here's a look at the employers who will be exhibiting at this fair:

• Adrianna's Insurance
• Aflac
• American Career College
• Argosy University
• Auto Club of Southern California
• Carmax Auto Superstore
• Casa Loma College
• Coca-Cola Enterprises
• Forest Lawn
• GMAC Mortgage
• H&R Block
• Kaiser Permanente
• LA College International
• Loma Linda University Medical Center
• Los Angeles Fire Department
• Los Angeles Police Department
• Loyola Marymount University
• Mid Valley Periodontics & Dental Implantology
• National Life of Vermont
• New York Life Insurance Co.
• Prudential Financial
• SOS Nurses On-Call
• Southern California Edison
• The Art Institutes
• University of Phoenix
• West Coast Ultrasound Institute
• World Financial Group

For more information on the fair, please check out our Facebook page.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DIVERSE CAREERS, INC. ANNOUNCES SAN DIEGO CAREER FAIR
TO BE HELD THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14TH – 10:00am to 2:00pm

Doubletree Hotel San Diego/Mission Valley
7450 Hazard Center Drive
San Diego, CA 92108

San Diego, Calif. -- Diverse Careers, Inc. would like to invite job seekers and employers to participate in the San Diego Career Fair on October 14, 2010 from 10am to 2pm at the Doubletree Hotel San Diego/Mission Valley located at 7450 Hazard Center Drive, San Diego, CA 92108.

Job seekers and employers are encouraged to participate. This recruiting event is open to everyone and is FREE to all job seekers.

Diverse Careers, Inc. is a job board website and career fair management company located in Southern CA. Diverse Careers, Inc is proud to promote and support Diversity in the workplace. We also believe in creating an inclusive environment for all job seekers. The mission of Diverse Careers, Inc. is to connect the best talented job seekers with great companies while supporting Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace. Career opportunities range from entry level to senior executive. Career Fairs are held in San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, and Inland Empire.

Companies are still registering for this event, but some of the exhibitors include: Aflac, California Dental, California American Water, Coleman University, ITT Technical, Kaiser Permanente, Prudential Financial, San Diego County Sheriff's Department, The Art Institutes, Wells Fargo, and many more!

Upcoming events include: Orange County, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Inland Empire.

Employers and Recruiters interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at this event should contact Marcel Abandonato at (951) 479-1350 or marcel@diversecareers.com.

For more information please visit www.diversecareers.com.

Career Fairs can be tricky to navigate, for both job seekers and employers. You need to meet with a lot of people, give a great impression, and find out what you need to know from a recruiter or a job seeker in a very short amount of time. On the spot interviews require a great deal of finesse on the part of the recruiter. Here's a few tips to make that on the spot interview great, picked up from some online experts.

DO Have a goal for the meeting: According to this article by Jobing, you'll want to have a pretty solid idea of what you are looking for in a candidate before you even meet them. This goes especially for on the spot interviews- soft skills, personality, and a short amount of background will all need to be garnered in a 5-10 minute meeting, and it will all go smoother if you know what to look for, and thus, what questions to ask.

DON'T Come unprepared. Even if you are only recruiting for a few positions within your company, it's a good idea to have a general idea about other potentially open positions, company policies (such as benefits, hiring processes, and human resources procedures), and job descriptions, according to this article by recruiter Kirk Baumann. Many job seekers might be attending a fair looking for an entry level position in your company, even if you are only recruiting for upper level management. You don't want to turn down a good potential candidate because you don't know what your company is offering. At the very least, according to the article, know where to send the job seeker for more information, such as the company's website.

DO Ask about experience, but be sure to ask for specifics. This article by HR Manger lists some very common interview questions that employers ask. While it's not bad to ask these questions, the questions can lead to generic answers from job seekers who have heard that question before. Ask more directed, specific questions about the job seeker's experience, that way they won't give you a rehearsed answer and you'll get a better idea of the candidate's character.

DON'T Ask about personal life. While it may seem benign, asking about age, race, disability, and religion in an interview is illegal- something you definitely want to avoid in an on the spot interview, according to this article by Yahoo Finance. In order to protect employees' rights against discrimination, laws have been put in place at the federal, state, and local level to ensure employers don't ask questions that could disqualify an employee based on discriminatory information. You want to hire an employee based on his or her experience and qualifications anyway, so keep the conversation away from topics that could be construed as discrimination.

Some further tips:
DO Ask the person what they are looking for career-wise. It's a good idea to find out right off the bat what the candidate is looking for, that way, you can establish early on if your company is offering what he or she is aspiring for.

DO Follow up. Candidates that you spoke with will be looking forward to your call. It's a great courtesy to follow up soon with someone you interviewed with, even if it's to tell them that they weren't right for the position. Being polite, respectful, and courteous can soften bad news. And remember, potential candidates can also be potential customers or clients for a company, so it's a good idea to make positive connections with anyone you come across in a career fair.

DO Maintain a positive outlook. Interviews can be nerve-wracking for both recruiters and job seekers- who hasn't been nervous for an interview? Just be sure to smile and keep a positive attitude- your positivity will come out in the way you talk and put the candidate at ease, which will be better for both of you.