In today’s tough job market, any opportunity to find a job is well worth the effort. Job fairs, also called “career fairs,” are a great job searching resource. They allow applicants to meet dozens of employers face to face. Not only this, but these employers are actively seeking candidates, so your chances of getting hired are much better when compared to submitting your resume blind or online with the rest of the crowd.

While job fairs offer the opportunity to meet potential employers face to face, they also offer a place to practice for future interviews. There’s no better place to sharpen your selling skills. If nothing else, you’ll walk away with a better idea of how to sell yourself and much more confidence doing it.

So, how do you prepare for a job fair? Well first, you have to find them. Use your favorite search engine to look for job fairs in your immediate and surrounding areas. If you’re willing to travel (this is never a bad idea), check nearby cities and states. Many participating employers may have an office in your area, so don’t rule out out-of-state job fairs.

After finding a list of job fairs you might be interested in, find out which companies will be participating. Each job fair will have a website that lists participating companies. Next, choose which companies you would like to work for. Keep in mind that you should also research the positions each company wants to fill and if you’re qualified for them. Once you have made several matches, research the companies on your list. Find out if they are solid companies with growth potential. You can find this information on the company website, business news websites, through press releases, and even the business section of your local newspaper.

With your list in hand, you can now make your way through the job fair without wasting much time. Visit the booths or tables of your top choices first. If you have time, walk through again just to see if there are any other companies that look interesting. You might find an additional company or two that may turn out to be a good fit.

Before you head out to the job fair, make sure you have at least a dozen resumes and a list of references to hand out. Next, always dress the part. This means never show up in jeans and a T-shirt. Professional attire always makes a good first impression. It will also make you feel more confident about approaching potential employers.

What you do after a job fair can be just as important as what you do during the fair. So, after meeting with employers, always ask for a business card. If available, ask for a company brochure as well. Always remember the person’s name you met with (if it’s not on the card). Follow-up with a letter or email to the company representatives you met with. Thank them for meeting with you and briefly discuss your strengths and what you can bring to the company. If you look forward to hearing from the representative, say so. If you haven’t heard from a representative in a week or so, it’s perfectly fine to follow-up again with a phone call. Your aggressiveness will certainly help you stand out from the crowd.

To search for career fairs in your area, in addition to using search engines, you can also try the National Career Fairs website at www.nationalcareerfairs.com.

The high unemployment rate continues to have an adverse affect even on those who still have jobs.

The furloughs that popped up during the recession are being replaced by a highly unusual tactic: actual cuts in pay.

Local and state governments, as well as some companies, are squeezing their employees to work the same amount for less money in cost-saving measures that are often described as a last-ditch effort to avoid layoffs.

A new report on Tuesday showed a slight dip in overall wages and salaries in June, caused partly by employees working fewer hours.

Though average hourly pay is still higher than when the recession began, the new wage rollbacks feed worries that the economy has weakened and could even be at risk of deflation. That is when the prices of goods and assets fall and people withhold spending as they wait for prices to drop further, a familiar idea to those following the recent housing market.

When it comes to public jobs, many of these cuts may be justified, as we’ve seen many examples of inefficiencies in the public sector. In that sense some of these adjustments are good for the overall economy in the long run.

That said, many of these cuts are painful, and this won’t help get the economy moving in the short term.