Do job fairs really help you land a job?
May 7, 2009 by admin
Filed under Career News and Advice
“There wasn’t much recruiting going on. They wouldn’t even accept resumes,” says Ahmed, who’s been looking for work since March when she was laid off from a nonprofit. She didn’t want her first name used for fear of impacting her job search.
It was her second job fair since she was laid off. Her conclusion: “They aren’t that useful. I got brochures and information on the company. I could have gotten that from their Web site.”
Job fairs and job-networking events — such as “pink slip” parties geared toward mid-career types — are becoming a familiar scene across the country, with events sponsored by chambers of commerce and local charities to large corporations such as Monster and Careerbuilder.
Long lines of the unemployed waiting to attend these functions is becoming a familiar sight on the nightly news, but the big question is: Do job fairs really help you find a job?
A lesson in futility
There are no hard statistics on how often a trip to an organized job-hunting soiree leads to employment. But some job seekers say they can be a lesson in futility during these tough times because many gatherings are overcrowded, so applicants get lost in the shuffle.
And many employers have few or no jobs to offer, using such fairs as more of a promotional tool or for community goodwill. For those positions that are open, they often don’t match a job applicant’s background or desire.
Christopher Morin, a 38-year-old brand manager who was laid off in January from travel company Tauck World Discovery, recently attended a pink slip party in Fairfield County, Conn., and left in frustration.
“It was somewhat of a disaster, being overcrowded and you couldn’t find the recruiters [or] companies, then when you found someone you stood in line for 20-plus minutes to introduce yourself, only to find out that the person you waited to meet is from a nursing home and is looking for aides,” he recalls.
Many of these recruitment events are based on good intentions. Monster.com is touting its national career fair tour, launched in February, as its “mission to help rebuild the American workforce.” To date they’ve hit 19 cities, included more than 475 employers and attracted more than 15,000 job seekers.