This is a guest post from Sarah Stimson, Director at Unicorn Jobs and a keynote speaker at Impress London.
Go dressed to impress
You want a career in PR? You want to be taken seriously? Then dress the part and treat it like an interview – who knows who you will meet. Plenty of people get jobs by word of mouth rather than applying to adverts, make sure you are memorable by looking, and acting, professional.
Take grooming seriously
Make sure your hair is brushed, clothes are clean, shoes are polished, perfume/aftershave and make up are not over done and your nails are manicured (this goes for you too boys). First impressions really count.
Take along your CV and covering letter
A soft copy of your CV on a memory stick is a good idea, but a couple of hard copies are a good idea too – just make sure they aren’t dog-eared and tatty. Clean, new copies kept in a plastic folder are best. Also take along a sample covering letter, there may be people there who can offer advice on the right kind of thing to write.
Go with some business cards
What do you mean you’re not working so you don’t have cards? That shouldn’t stop you. Try Moo cards , or Vistaprint, both of which do really cheap, good quality business cards. Vistaprint are offering 250 business cards for free at the moment. Make sure it has your name, email, phone number and other contact details on it – like your Twitter and LinkedIn profiles.
Make sure you have a notepad and pen
How are you going to remember that really useful email address if you have nothing to write it on? If you are going to blog about the event, it’s helpful if you write down some useful quotes during the event.
Do some due diligence
Find out who the speakers are and do a bit of research into their backgrounds. You can make yourself stand out by asking them pertinent questions.
Don’t be coy
Not everyone is brimming with confidence, and some people find it difficult to speak to complete strangers, but networking is a really important part of these events and the best way to make sure people remember you. If you have to, fake it. Plaster a smile on your face and make it your mission to speak to, say, 10 different people you’ve never met before during the day.
Follow up
If you meet someone on the day that you promise to stay in touch with, then do. Make sure you get their contact details on the day and follow up with an email (and an invitation to join your LinkedIn contacts).
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ben Matthews ?, JazCummins, Bright One, Sarah Stimson, Impress London and others. Impress London said: How to Impress at @ImpressLondon http://bit.ly/bG744R Guest post by @GoooRooo #impress [...]