A recent job fair in Orlando left many job seekers shocked. I learned through some recent college graduates who attended, their efforts to arrive early before a presumed mass of competitive and hungry job -seekers was unnecessary. The doors opened at the University of Central Florida's arena Thursday with only a few dozen people slipping through the doorway rather than the 100s some students had expected from the television reports they had seen. A couple was surprised that after their wait a small percent of employers were still setting up their tables. The unpreparedness caused one job-seeker to steer clear of the employer because "it was like having no product on the shelf," she told me. Despite these few surprises, those I've talked with felt they had a good advantage over other students who hadn't attended.

Here are a few tips they offered:

• Review the list of companies and the positions available before you go.

• This isn't the time to be shy. Approach any company and ask if they have positions meeting your skill sets. You may be pleasantly surprised to learn of possible job openings in your field.

• Many companies will send a human resources representative to the event. Some representatives may simply file your resume when they head back to work. So, make sure to find and learn who the hiring manager is for the position you are seeking.

• If you do talk to someone from human resources and they start taking notes while talking with you, provide keywords about your skills that aren't included in the resume and that apply to the position in order to stand out from the pile.

Have you recently attended a job fair? What are some tips you suggest?