Job Fairs - A Waste Of Time ?

College Grad.com provides several articles on the types of job fairs, and how job fairs help with your job search. Some of the topics include the types of Job Fairs such as:

Campus-Sponsored Job Fairs
Campus-Sponsored Career Days
Commercial Entry Level Job Fairs
Commercial Professional Job Fairs
Commercial Specialty Job Fairs
Community Job Fairs

This site is really targeted to the recent college graduate, but does include some relevant information for job seekers at all levels.

This transcript is from Dr. Debra Davenport. You can visit her site Davenport Portfolio

What is a "job fair"?

Jobs or career fairs are usually large events where anywhere from twenty to two hundred employers will come to a convention centre or exhibition hall. They'll have booths and hiring representatives there. A job fair attracts a large, large amount of people. Those recruiters are there all day collecting resumes and conducting on-site interviews. Most of the time job fairs, career fairs, are for lower level positions and the companies who come to the career fairs are usually looking to hire a lot of the same types of people. So, whether they be technical people or administrative or service people, those are typically the types of jobs that you're going to find there. Usually you're not going to find the mid to upper level management types of positions available at job fairs. However, if you're looking for something at entry level, a job fair might not be a bad place to go.

What are some different types of job fairs?

Regarding job fairs, Universities will have career fairs where employers will come to campuses and recruit new graduates. There are also community-wide career fairs, where a city perhaps will put on a career fair where 1 to 15 employers will come to a convention center with the public welcome. There are also industry specific career fairs, technology for example or healthcare, and those types of organizations, again, will come together hiring representatives to look to fill any number of different types of positions.

How should I prepare for meetings at a job fair?

The best thing to do is arrive on time. Dress very professionally. Have many copies of your resume with you, because you never know how many people are going to ask for your resume when you get to the career fair. Again, there could be 150 to 200 employers at a career fair represented, and you may want to meet with 30 or 40 of those companies while you're there. So be prepared.I would also recommend that you run through some interview preparation before you go to the career fair. And that way when you get there, you're fresh, you're ready to go. You're well prepared, well rehearsed for your interviews, and you're able to walk up to the different booths, shake hands, give a nice smile, and ask for the types of jobs you're really looking for.

How effective are job fairs in my job search?

Well, let me be very honest about this question. Everyone I have know whose attended a career fair has come back to say "career fairs suck." I am just going to be very candid about that. I don't have really high regard for career fairs because unless you're looking for a very low-level, entry-level type of position, it's probably not going to be the place where you're going to find your dream job. So, you need to focus on strategies that are going to be more effective for you, particularly if your career is really important to you. If you are just looking for a summer job or an intern type of position that you're not really going to be really passionate about, I would say a career fair might be a viable way to go. However, I think most people are looking for a career that they really love, that they want to grow with and really make something of, and typically career fairs don't offer those types of long-term, really good positions.

While having a formal education is certainly a good way to break into some industries, don't fret if you didn't earn a college degree. There's still hope! Let's look at three qualities you must possess in order to get the job you want without a degree.

Soft Skills: These are skills not obtained by getting a degree. Some of these skills deemed most important by employers include the following:

Enthusiasm
Punctuality
Ability to get along well with others
Professional appearance and mannerism
Genuine interest in the job at hand
Problem Solving
Continued professional and personal growth
Computer Skills (A must)

Making Connections: Great jobs are handed out every day to so-and-so's cousin or the head honcho's friend's grandson. If you want to meet with the same success, you will have to make and tap your connections effectively.

When you're trying to make connections, you have to step outside of your comfort zone and come to life when you meet others. Sometimes you simply have to strike up conversations in coffee shops or grocery store lines. Make a proactive effort to find out a little more about the people who
surround you in your daily life. You never know who might be standing next to you in line for a movie or sitting next to you on a train!

And don't neglect those contacts you already have. Take the time to analyze people you know and whom you have recently met. Who can potentially help you in your job goal search? Who have you forgotten to ask about job opportunities? If you feel at all embarrassed about networking, remember that it's never begging if you go in to speak to someone full of confidence, high energy, and optimism. In fact, you may be doing them a favor if they can put you in touch with somebody who actually ends up hiring you-this makes your friend look good! The bottom line is that you'll never know whether your connections can work for you until you try.

Market Research: Employers appreciate applicants who "do their homework." Market research can also help clear up any confusion. When you discover how the industry you're interested in works with other industries, you may find that some of unlikeliest contacts are the ones who can help you the most. So don't wait around for a job to find you. Go out and do you research, talk to your contacts, and bring the job to you!

Your ability to successfully tap and utilize the three qualities above depends on how well developed your job market skills are over all. So start off by analyzing your competency level by taking a FREE Job Market Performance Assessment (several available online).

Are you thinking about changing careers but scared to blindly jump into something new? Are you not sure where to start? Most people are unhappy and frustrated with their current job, but don't know how to create a plan to move into a new career.

If you are lost about where to start, and not sure what career would interest you right now, think about your hobbies. What did you love to do when you were a kid? If you love books, maybe you would like to work in a library or bookstore. If you are good at math, consider an accounting position. Thank about how you would spend your time if you didn't have to work to earn a living.

Taking a class to learn a new skill is now easier than ever. Most colleges offer online courses that will allow you to work at a time convenient for you. You will have specific deadlines to meet just as if you were in a classroom, but you are able to work at your own pace and within your own weekly schedule.

Try something new, even if you're not sure if you would like it. Learn photography, update your computer skills, or take a yoga class. Even if you wind up hating it, you won't know if you don't try.

If you have an idea about what you would like to do, why not work at it part-time? Suppose you work in the medical field now but think you now want to work with animals. You could get a part-time job working in a veterinarian's office or a kennel. There are plenty of part-time gigs you can do at night or on the weekend. Of course, you're giving up some of your free time, but isn't this a small price to pay to test the waters before making the plunge to full-time? Starting out part-time for an employer is one of the best ways to work into a full-time position later.

Volunteering is always an option. While you are helping others, you are also finding out if something is right for you. How about coaching a sports team at your kid's school? Could you tutor someone who doesn't know how to read?

Maybe you won't wind up changing careers after all, but instead build a part-time business that allows you to be creative and express yourself. If you play the piano, could you give personal lessons? If you are good at crafts, why not sell yours online? If you love dogs, maybe you could be a pet sitter for your friends and neighbors.

The possibilities are endless if you just use your imagination. As long as you are doing something that feeds your soul, you are spending your time on a worthwhile cause- yourself!