I have to admit that while I am not a huge fan of large, commercial career fairs, there is a lot value you can get from attending a job fair that is part of an association or industry conference.

In the upcoming fall, there are a several annual conferences held throughout the country and they provide viable opportunities to connect with key decision makers and internal company contacts through a two-day career expo.

When planned effectively, job fairs can help you streamline your job search activities, allow you to practice your 30-second pitch and interviewing skills and gain insider tips on unadvertised job opportunities.

Before you start generating thousands of resumes and dropping them off at every table at the event, do your homework, develop a plan of action and determine your post-job fair strategies.

Do Your Homework - research the companies

Never use a job fair to "see what's out there", you will come across unprepared and unclear to everyone you talk to - do upfront research and identify the participating companies and make a list of the top five or ten companies to focus your efforts.

Make Sure Your Career Documents Sing

While you don't want to depend on getting an interview by leaving your resume in a pile of thousands of others, you still want the few minutes you spend with a company representative to be worthwhile. Your professional resume should be well written, targeted and focused for job opportunities that are in line with the company's needs.

Identify Key Players - use LinkedIn contacts

If you are attending a large, national-based association conference, more likely than not, a lot of your existing LinkedIn contacts and LinkedIn group members may be attending as well.

Plan informal meetings and small events to have face-to-face contact with other professionals who can offer more personal insight to company opportunities and make yourself available to do the same for others.

Develop A Plan of Action - work the job fair

Know ahead of time what information you are seeking from the company representative - have specific questions prepared about job openings and inquire about potential job opportunities.

Don't ask the person vague questions like "do you know of any job openings?" or "what do you think I would be qualified for?" Even if you are unemployed, have professional business cards made to distribute to the right individuals at the job fair.

Make sure you ask for names of department heads or individuals in charge of interviewing candidates and walk away knowing the proper follow-up protocol be prepared to execute it as soon as possible.

Follow Up Immediately - have a strategic plan

Now that you are armed with names of department heads, division executives, project leaders and strong decision makers, match your efforts with job search tactics that will open doors for informational and actual job interviews.

Keep in mind that you want to get as many names/contacts from each company you are interested to increase the number of internal advocates you can retain without becoming a nuisance.