Are you searching for a new job or a new career? If you are, you may have searched for jobs online or even in your newspaper’s employment section. Although these resources are great ones, you may want to think about trying career fairs, as they are a great way to find available job positions, as well as apply for them at the same time.
Although there is a good chance that you have heard of a career fair before, there is also a chance that you haven’t. If you didn’t already know, career fairs are events that are often free and held in large public places. Most career fairs are held at hotels or in shopping malls. During a career fair, a number of employers, particularly those who are hiring, set up booths. Those booths are where participating employers will have information, including pictures, write ups, and more, about their company displayed. Most career fair employer participants also often have a company representative or two on hand, to accept applications and sometimes even do onsite interviews.
As nice as it is to know what career fairs are, you may be wondering why you should attend one. As it was previously mentioned, a large number of employers often come to career fairs. The exact number will all depend on the size of the establishment in question. Even the smallest of career fairs tend to house about forty or fifty hiring employers. Using the internet or searching for job listings in your local newspaper will never be able to produce this many employers in such a small amount of time.
Career fairs are also nice because the participating employers often run different types of businesses. For instance, at one of your local career fairs, employers looking for construction workers, nurses, secretaries, or teachers could have booths set up. This is nice because it can give you ideas or cause you to examine another job or career, one that you may have not thought of before. Also, when attending a career fair, you are under no obligation to provide prospective employers with your resume or your contact information, although it is advised that you do so. This means that you could not only use a career fair to find available jobs, but you can also use them to examine all of your options or to set new career goals for yourself.
If you are interested in attending a career fair, you will need to be able to find them. As it was previously mentioned, most career fairs are held in public establishments, like hotels or shopping centers. Many career fairs are advertised at their locations in advance. It may be a little bit harder to examine local hotels, but you may be able to see career fair signs when shopping at your favorite retail stores. You should also be able find out about locally hosted career fairs by using the internet or your local newspapers, as many career fair organizers take out advertisements.
The decision as to whether or not you want to attend a career fair is yours to make, but it is something that may result in a new job or a new career. For the best chance of success at career fairs, you will want to make sure that you dress professionally, bring extra copies of your resume to handout, as well as always be prepared for an interview. All career fairs are different, but some employers are known to give prospective candidates interviews right on the spot, as well as hire new employees!
How to Find Career Fairs
While career fairs are one of the best places to gather information on who is hiring, what type of jobs are available, and what type of qualifications are needed. In fact, career fairs are also a great way to apply for jobs. While career fairs are nice to attend, they can sometimes be difficult to find.
Before outlining exactly how you can go about finding career fairs, it is important that you first know exactly what they are. Career fairs are events that are almost always open to the general public and held in public locations, like shopping malls. Although career fairs can vary, most employer participants set up their own tables or booths. These booths are often accompanied by printed information, brochures, or pictures about the company in question. Each booth is often staffed with a couple of company representatives; representatives who are able to accept applications or resumes, as well as answer any questions that job seekers may have.
Now that you know what career fairs are, you may be wondering exactly how you can go about finding them. When it comes to finding a career fair, one of the best things that you can do is keep your eyes and your ears open. For instance, many of the career fairs that are hosted in shopping centers are advertised weeks or sometimes even months in advance. Since career fairs are commonly held in local shopping centers, you are advised to always be on the lookout for any career fair signs or banners. If you are unable to visit your local shopping center or other public establishments, you can always trying calling them once a month or so to see if any career fairs are scheduled for the future.
Career fairs are often advertised in local newspapers as well. While information about a career fair may appear in different newspaper sections, it is common to find information about them in the employment section of a newspaper. Although it isnt as common as newspaper advertisements, many career fairs are also advertised online. If you have access to any local business websites or message boards, you may be able to find information on an upcoming career fair.
Community boards are another way that career fair organizers go about advertising their upcoming career fairs. Since most career fairs are planned months in advance, many organizers have the time to go around the neighborhood and hang-up signs. Many career fairs are advertised on college campus community bulletin boards. Businesses where those looking for work are likely to hang out may also have bulletin boards that may have information on available job openings or career fairs. These types of businesses tend to include restaurants or coffee houses.
You are also advised to contact your local career center, which is sometimes referred to as a career counseling center. These types of centers are where you should be able to receive assistance with finding a job. Most career centers are staffed with those who are educated on the art of finding, applying for, and landing a job. If you do have a local career center in or around your community, they are often the first ones to know about an upcoming career fair. That is why it is advised that you contact your local career center to ask if they know about any upcoming career fairs. If they do, be sure to get the important information, like when and where.
By keeping the above mentioned points in mind, you should be able to find and attend any career fairs that happen in or around your place of residence. For the best chance of success, when attending a career fair, make sure that you bring multiple copies of your resume, dress for success, and be prepared for an onsite interview, because they do occasionally happen.
Career Fair Job Hunting Tips
As you likely already know, career fairs are large events where multiple employers come in search of qualified employees. In most cases, career fairs are held in public places, such as shopping malls or hotel lobbies. They are also often free to attend. While career fairs do vary, most employers are able to set up small booths, where they can display information about their company and the type of employees that they are looking for. Most employer booths have a company representative who is able to discuss their companys opportunities and accept resumes.
Although career fairs are a great way to find new employment opportunities, most individuals are unprepared for them. What many do not realize is that some employers actually interview and hire candidates right on the spot! For that reasons, you need to do more than just attend a career fair; it is something that you need to prepare for. To make the most out of career fairs, you will want to keep some of the below mentioned tips in mind.
Perhaps, the most important tip to remember is to bring copies of your resume with you; the more the better. Although you may not be interested in apply for every opportunity found at a career fair, you should enter into a career fair thinking that you would. If you are able to get an estimated number of how many employers would be attending the career fair in question, you are advised to bring that number of resume copies. Should you not handout all of your resume copies, you can save them and use them at a later date. Career fairs are not only used to educate you on local employment opportunities, but they are also designed to help you find and get a job.
Another tip that you should keep in mind is your appearance. Since many career fair employer participants give interviews on the spot, you may want to be prepared for one, in the physical sense. Wearing a pair or jeans or sweat pants will not make a good impression, but a simple pants suit or dress will work wonders. Many times, the employer representatives at a career fair are the ones who in charge of the companys hiring. Taking a few extra minutes to fix yourself up, before you walk out the door is a great way to make a good impression at a career fair.
As previously mentioned, many career fair employer participants end up giving interviews on the spot. In fact, some actually hire new employees right on the spot as well. That is why it is extremely important that you prepare for an interview, just in case. In addition to dressing the part, you also want to make sure that you know how an interview works, namely the questions that you should ask or the responses that you should give. If you havent had an interview in some time, it may be a good idea to refresh your memory. You can do this by asking a friend or a family member to give you a sample interview. Practice is the best way to make a good impression during an interview, even if it is an unexpected one at a career fair.
Another tip that is worth mentioning is going to career fairs alone. Most career fairs are scheduled during the daytime, often during the week. If you are a parent, you should make other arrangements for your child, as you dont want to be remembered as the applicant who brought their child along. In terms of friends, you may also want to bring a friend along with you for moral support. You are also advised against doing this. If you have a friend is who also job hunting, you can attend together, but be sure to go your separate ways. Employers are less likely to give you an interview if they see you are accompanied by a guest and a partner may unintentionally effect which employers you stop and see.
By keeping the above mentioned tips in mind, you should be able to make the most out a career fair. These tips may increase your chances of walking away from a career fair with a new job.
