Are career fairs worth it? The question is common among college students who are already overwhelmed by final exams and course projects as well as other critical job-seeking activities.
To better understand the various benefits of job fair attendance, it will be helpful to begin with a brief examination of what, exactly, a modern job fair looks like.
Understanding the Concept of Career Fairs
What is a job fair? The modern version of this event can mean different things to different people. There are opportunities for students and recent graduates, job seekers of any experience level, employers, recruiters, HR representatives, industry professionals, graduate schools as well as educational institutions, career services, and entrepreneurs. However, at colleges, the typical attendants are recruiters, employers, and job-seeking students. For the recruiter and employer, they are chances to showcase companies and attract top talent. For the job seeker, it can lead to rewarding employment in a variety of ways.
In-person career fairs are typically held in large public venues, such as university campuses and convention centers, and may be industry-specific, focusing on a single field like healthcare or technology.
Regardless of their purview and setup, job fairs allow job seekers to interact with any participating organization that interests them. While the goal of most parties at job fairs will be establishing viable employment connections, a job fair can also serve as a bridge to a mutually beneficial internship.
The Role of Virtual Career Fairs
In the name of public safety, reduced cost, and participant convenience, many job fairs are conducted online today. Most of these virtual career fairs attempt to replicate the experience of attending a face-to-face career fair, replacing traditional physical elements, such as company-specific booths, stands for startups, or areas for industry professionals. Instead, there are parallel online alternatives, like company-specific webpages.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the value of the virtual career fair became apparent to all. Beyond traditional job fair sponsors such as universities, companies, and industry groups, major internet platforms like LinkedIn play a vital role in the evolution of virtual career fairs.
Perks of Attending Career Fairs
While it is straightforward and often quite beneficial to look for jobs online, taking the time to attend a job fair during college can give you a distinct leg up in a highly competitive employment landscape. We all know the power that comes with looking someone directly in the eye and delivering a firm handshake. Such highly personal elements of the job search process can provide information that an internet search simply cannot. Other valuable perks of attending a career fair include:
Exposure to Various Roles and Industries
Attending a job fair at the beginning of your career gives you a chance to investigate the entry-level positions that are available. These events allow for ample opportunities to ask for information about specific positions, helping you determine the exact types of jobs for which you are most interested in applying. Beyond simply relying on information in job postings, you can gain a detailed understanding of these positions directly from the employers. Job seekers can also use job fairs to explore and compare the various pros and cons of working in a given industry or business sector.
Networking Opportunities
While a quality university may introduce you to valuable professional connections through its alumni and community outreach offerings, your exposure to potential employers is likely to be quite limited as a graduating senior. In fact, your first opportunities to chat with these employers might not be until you are across the desk with them at a job interview. By going to a job fair, you can meet with potential employers in a relatively low stakes setting, which can only increase your chances of getting the information you seek and making a positive first impression. Even if your job fair visit does not lead directly to an offer of employment, it may expand your professional network and foster a key connection that pays dividends down the road.
Less Formal Interview Practice
If you want a better understanding of what to expect during a job interview, going to a college job fair can help. In fact, many of the foundational characteristics of a job interview are present at a job fair, albeit in a far less formal environment. The informal nature of a job fair provides an excellent opportunity to practice some of the most essential elements of interviewing. Take advantage of your time at these events to run through common job interview experiences, from introducing yourself to employers to answering typical job interview questions. As you practice your skills in these areas, you will become far more comfortable in the considerably more stressful interview setting.
Do Career Fairs Charge an Entry Fee?
After finding an appropriate job fair to attend, you should address a few concerns before committing to attend. The cost of participation, however, is generally not a concern. One of the things that makes career fairs so attractive to job seekers is their lack of an entry fee. In most cases, participating companies and sponsoring organizations cover all the expenses associated with career fair events. In fact, it is wise to approach any job fair that asks you for money with caution and suspicion.
What Is the Typical Experience at a Career Fair?
If you are wondering what to expect at a job fair, your first question might be “What does it look like?” In-person job fairs will typically feature a series of booths or tables, each of which is staffed by a different company. This setup gives you the opportunity to meet individual company representatives and gather information. Virtual job fairs commonly provide a variety of ways to chat with company representatives over great distances. Keep in mind that you might not necessarily be meeting with the head of each company. Instead, you might be meeting a company’s hiring manager or professionals in charge of specific departments.
How to Effectively Prepare for a Career Fair
If you want to make the most of your job fair experience, you cannot show up unprepared. From printing out many copies of your resume for distribution to making a list of questions to ask potential employers, there are plenty of things you can do to make sure you are fully ready for these events. Here are a few more preparatory measures to consider:
Do Your Research
When you speak to company representatives or industry professionals at career fairs, your interactions will prove much more fruitful if you have taken the time to research the company or industry in advance. Doing so will enable you to determine who you want to speak with (and in what order) and ask more thoughtful questions when you do. Knowing more about these industries and companies as well as their open positions before the job fair can also help you better market yourself to them.
Importance of a Well-Drafted Resume and Elevator Pitch
Because it will serve as your calling card at the job fair, you simply cannot overestimate the value of an optimized resume. In certain cases, you may also want to bring a list of references, letters of recommendation, and a portfolio of your work. Keep in mind that companies, recruiters, and HR representatives participate in career fairs to source potential candidates for open positions, so your resume should anticipate and address their needs as directly as possible.
You should approach your “elevator pitch” in a similar way. Although it will not literally occur in an elevator, this short speech allows you to introduce and market yourself to potential employers. You do not want your pitch to sound too rehearsed, but take some time to practice before the job fair so you feel more at ease when making introductions.
Dress Like You Would for a Job Interview
Although clothing norms differ from organization to organization, you should not show up to a career fair in blue jeans and a t-shirt. Think about how you would dress for a job interview and wear an outfit that makes you look professional. It will help you make an excellent first impression on potential employers before you even introduce yourself.
Are Career Fairs Worth the Time and Effort?
Job seekers who adequately prepare for a job fair, take it seriously while they are there, and follow up by sending promising companies or individuals a thank you email typically find the experience worthwhile. The Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) at Post University recommends job fair attendance for the opportunities that it offers students to interact face-to-face with prospective employers. In fact, the CCPD offers a range of diverse and holistic resources and services to aid students in all aspects of job-seeking and employment sector marketability.