Career Fairs…Learn to Love ‘Em
Posted by: admin / Category: Career Fair Events, Employment Tips, Interview TipsMost people hear “career fair” and tend to run the opposite direction, screaming with arms flailing. The first things they picture are a thousand people all crowded into a ballroom and most people don’t want to have to climb over the next in order to get thirty seconds with a hiring manager. Who would want to experience something like that? I know I wouldn’t, but here’s my chance to tell you why a HireLive Career Fair or can be one of the best experiences in your search for a new job.
I have heard people use the words “cattle call”, “waste of my time” or “they are all just entry-level jobs” to explain a career fair…but I can almost guarantee you that they have never been to one, at least not a HireLive one. When do you get a chance to talk to 15-20 companies all in a couple hour time span? Or get the opportunity to network with other job seekers? Or practice your interview skills? I would say with confidence not very often. At HireLive’s career fairs job seekers get a great deal of personal one-on-one time with hiring managers without having to scramble to get it.
In fact here at HireLive we are changing people’s perspectives of career fairs all the time, take Eric for example he reached out to us and said, “I just wanted to say that I was happily surprised at your recent Woodland Hills Marriott event. I have been to a few job fairs and felt that I wasted my time each time. I promised never to go to another job fair again. I saw your ad on CareerBuilder and decided to take a chance on this HireLive event. I was able to meet with the companies that I wanted to speak with at your event. The crowd was reasonable. The other events were so crowded that you could barely move and NEVER even got to meet with the hiring managers. As I said, they were always a waste. So… I just wanted to say that your event was a success as far as I am concerned.”
We pride ourselves on being different from all the rest, and we take the time to ensure a quality experience for all the job seekers that attend our career fairs. So what can you do to ensure the most out of a career fair… here are a few handy tips to get you started. People please… take advantage of the ENTIRE career fair. Too many times I have seen someone come in and walk out within 10 minutes….after asking them how it went and who they spoke to the answer I always get it is “Well I only came to talk to __________ and I think it went well.” Why go out of your way to come to a career fair and pass by the 15 other companies ready and willing to interview you? It is something I just will never understand. I can tell you often times people may come for one company end up talking to several and finding their dream job with one of the companies they would have never considered if they hadn’t talked to all the companies at the career fair. Second, research the companies before attending. Find out if they are expanding? Launching a new product? Knowing simple facts like these can make you stand about above the other candidates. Lastly, make sure you ask about following up. Ask them if you can have contact information to follow up with them after the interview….they may give it to you and they may not, but at least you asked. It shows that you are proactive in your job search and very interested to move forward.
Ready to give Career Fairs a shot? We will be in Northern California in Sacramento, Walnut Creek, San Francisco and San Jose as well as in Dallas and Houston September 20-22. Visit our website for more information!
