Last week, I attended my first career fair…as an employer.

On behalf of Momentum, I shared a table with our sister agency Colangelo & Partners at the Barnard College Spring 2015 Job and Internship Career Fair. As someone who attended career fairs as a student, I recognized the usefulness of these events and wanted to see if I could learn (as well as meet some potential candidates) from the other side of the table as well. Turns out, I did. Here are some tips every employer should know to make the right impression of their company:

Before

There may be dozens and dozens of candidates at these events, but there are also dozens of companies. Dress sharp and prepare a table that looks professional. Bring information about your company, business cards, and some visuals to stand out. Since Colangelo & Partners is a food, wine & spirits PR agency, we brought some wine bottles to draw eyes to our table!

During

Remember the questions you had to nervously ask employers as a candidate? Well, now you have to answer them. Be ready! Some candidates will ask the typical, “What kind of company are you?” or “What positions are available?” Other questions can be a bit more interesting; for example, “What does your company stand for?” or “What is your company’s strategy?” Think of the questions you might be asked beforehand so you can develop your answers.  After all, you want the candidates to do most of the talking!

After

During the fair, make a note about the candidates that stuck out to you. Even if you liked them, you are still meeting a lot of new people and it may be hard to remember the next day. Also, look out for those thank you cards or follow up emails – those are the candidates most interested in your company. Lastly, think about the questions you received during the fair and how you can use them to better attract talent to your company. For example, many candidates asked me how they could find out about Momentum’s career opportunities, so we will now be adding a much more prominent Contact/Career page on our website that will allow prospective employees to reach us.