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I went to a Job Fair recently to see one employer that I really wanted to work for. I walked in, scanned the area, saw their booth and made a beeline to it. I waited patiently while they finished talking to others and then introduced myself. Turns out, the lady I have talked to on the phone and in email was there as well as the person who hires for the position I want.
I was flat out honest with them. I told them, "I came here because you were going to be here." I told them I had looked on their site for any openings, saw the Job Fair ad and that they were going to be there so decided to go. I told them, "I wanted to put a face to my resume."
Yesterday I got a call from the hiring lady for an interview on Monday. Mind you, I have interviewed in the past but that was with the other lady, not this one. We'll see what happens.
I really wasn't going to waste my time at this Fair after that but thought I should just look around, anyway. Saw a few companies I have applied to in the past, (some several times), and was told to put my name on the list for HR. Why? I've applied, did my resume not go to HR? What is the point? Of course, I did put my name on the list but it seemed like a pointless exercise.
I walked past a few booths where you could tell they were making judgements on looks and wouldn't even make eye contact. Yah, don't want to work for you either, buddy, not with that attitude.
I turned a corner and talked to a guy about Canon. Not because I wanted to work there but you know, Canon, good stuff. I was upfront and told him I just like the product, I'm NO good at sales. We chatted a bit mainly because I felt bad that no one was standing at his booth. I wish I was good at sales, I would have tried for the job, the guy was very nice.
Went from there and ended up looking at a job I have not really ever considered before. I have no idea why I stopped and listened. I really don't. But I did. And I talked a bit to the HR and the other rep there.
Long story short, I've already been in to take an exam, passed that and now have to take two more tests at the beginning of November as well as the intensive interview, (by several at the same time...goody!). If I pass those, and pass my background checks, (which I should), I may very well get it. I don't know, it's too soon to tell anything but I was only one of two out of a group that passed the exam in the first place. (Which floors me because I didn't find it difficult at all but then again, some math comes very easy to me, I guess.)
So, this job fair yielded two companies talking to me. What comes of it, who knows. Hopefully something.
As for some other vendors I've applied with before, they acted in typical job fair fashion...you're just a number to them, they don't actually care if you work there or not. "OH, put your name on this list! It goes straight to HR!"
Big whoop. But hey, thanks for the piece of candy.
Well atleast you went there for a good reason unlike so many people I see on the news who are just standing in a long line so they can ask for any opportunity. By you expressing you attended the fair to find out more about their company made them want to interview you because you show real interest.
Job fairs IMO are such a waste of time, I've gone to many, and nothing has come out of ANY of them. NOTHING. Half the ones I've gone to have military waiting to recruit you- NO THANKS.
At the last one I went to, I spent like $50 making copies of resumes and reference letters and so on. And then passed them all out, NOT ONE CALL, email, nothing.
Needless to say they just frustrated me more because I felt like I wasted my time, if I want to work for a company I just look at their openings, and apply. That's worked way better for me.
Job fairs IMO are such a waste of time, I've gone to many, and nothing has come out of ANY of them. NOTHING. Half the ones I've gone to have military waiting to recruit you- NO THANKS.
At the last one I went to, I spent like $50 making copies of resumes and reference letters and so on. And then passed them all out, NOT ONE CALL, email, nothing.
Needless to say they just frustrated me more because I felt like I wasted my time, if I want to work for a company I just look at their openings, and apply. That's worked way better for me.
The goal of the job fairs is to gain a new contact not a job.
I've gone to many job fairs and never got hired from them. I consider them a waste of time, unless I want to just hang around and check out the ladies in skirt suits. If the Job Ad for the Fair does not list any companies I'm interested in, I don't bother going.
Its a lazy way for HR to fill their quota of applicants for EEOC, etc. Also, to ensure their HR budget is expensed. I believe many of those twirps at the booths enjoy watching the unemployed squirm.
Job fairs IMO are such a waste of time, I've gone to many, and nothing has come out of ANY of them. NOTHING. Half the ones I've gone to have military waiting to recruit you- NO THANKS.
At the last one I went to, I spent like $50 making copies of resumes and reference letters and so on. And then passed them all out, NOT ONE CALL, email, nothing.
Needless to say they just frustrated me more because I felt like I wasted my time, if I want to work for a company I just look at their openings, and apply. That's worked way better for me.
Eh my expereince is similar to this, now I still attend the job faire for it is better to go than to not go. But thinking "I am going to walk out with a job" proably won't happen. At best you make contacts, at best the guy you personally handed the resume too WILL CALL YOU BACK, as opposed to submitting it the great blackhole of the universe-online. Plus you do get to work a bit on your people/interviewing skills.
Improvements: More staffing agencies. Really, the only way in to certain fields and companies is through staffing and recommendations.
more community college involvement in re-education knowledge. So the people that go there are not preyed on by for-profit schools that charge way more $$$$ than the CC will for the same training.
Agreed about the making contacts thing.... if you are into the job fields that are AT the job fairs. I recommend contact the people you meet with an email the next day.
The last job fair I went to was very productive for me. The job fair was technology focused (software engineers, project managers, data analysts, systems analysts, technology managers, etc). The fair was put on by a company that I have worked for in the past and you could only attend IF you were invited by a current employee. A former employee of mine invited me and she was super kind to invite two of my MBA classmates based on my recommendations.
I took the afternoon off as vacation to attend and got three leads for three jobs. Before I left someone suggested I go speak with HR who would maybe be also
Able to tell me and direct me to other hiring managers for roles I had not considered. I was then directed to speak to another hiring manager for a job that I had definitely not considered but was the same salary band for the other three.
I followed up with each contact and within two days recruiters responsible for 3/4 jobs called to set up interviews. One job would not be opened up until next year. I then interviewed mixture of phone/ in person. And within another week I received two offers. I accepted one and begin early November.
I found that the fair was a tool to really help HR and hiring managers try to fill a significant amount of higher level technology roles within a short period of time
The fair prescreened based on empyee referrals and people who had a minimum of three years experience in the chosen subject and work areas. So it was productive for the hiring managers to spend their afternoon and early evening there and it was very productive for the job seeker too (and HR).
For me, I had been finding it difficult to get through all of the online applications for this company even with one recruiter who had significant interest in me (I was the second finalist on one of her jobs and she had told me she really felt that I was the better pick so she has been sending positions my way but it still took ages to get responses back) so this fair I made sure to make each interaction my first interview and stand out. I had one hiring manager tell me that I was the only one so far that night that got a "10" on our interaction and he was definitely going to have me brought in (and he did and just had me interview with his team since he told HR he didn't need to speak with me again).
This job fair reminded me of my business schools' fairs: prescreened, hiring managers and HR attend, If only HR then they are really talent recruiters and not just company FaceTime representatives, and there is a known subject area (aka MBA level position, technology focus positions). It was also nice that at this recent fair I went to sponsored by the company they had appetizers, juices, sodas and waters to help people freshen up.
A random job fair with companies just showing up for free advertisement I would probably not attend.
I am done with career fairs. Even the industry-specific ones, like the one I attended last month and had to travel out of town for, weren't very helpful. At the last one I went to, I collected two business cards out of six or seven tables I made it to. When I would ask for cards, some of the employers admitted they didn't have them or didn't bring them. The last guy I talked to was pretty much acting like he didn't even want to be there...so off-putting. Don't employers realize they're being interviewed/screened just as much as they're doing the same to us?
I was impressed with one of the employers and have been checking back on their website for openings, but unfortunately, there aren't any openings that fit my background yet. The guy I talked to from that employer was really enthusiastic but didn't have a way to give me his contact information. Maybe something will materialize, but who knows?
Not totally useless. Sometimes you can find out about companies which are hiring though they are not there.
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