Job Fairs: The awkward dance in the school gym

At the job fair dance, who leads? If you’re a student, are you buying or selling? And are you really going to take candy from a stranger?

Job fairs are peculiar, frenetic events. They’re like a pop-up talent flea market. They appear for a moment in time, and two groups convene (employers and candidates) for a mad dash of trying to make the most number (or most valuable) connections in a few hours. 

Employers arrive with their giveaway candies and trinkets, business cards and aspirational “make your career blossom” messages. Students arrive with their “I rarely wear this suit” outfits, some of whom have plotted out their must-see tables on the attendance map in advance. Then the fair starts and it’s an interesting dance.

There are four basic types of students that attend:

• Students that know what they want
• Students that aren’t sure what they want
• Curious people who literally stumbled upon the event
• International students eager (or maybe even desperate) to have an opportunity to stay in the U.S. and work after their education

Some students prepare well in advance, researching the companies that already have their interest. Others do more “tire kicking” and are wanting to understand what might be available to them.

The companies are also a mixed bag:

• Desirable companies where people already want to work (Microsoft, Amazon)
• Organizations that do a broad reach to attract people (The Marine Corps, Non-profits)
• Smaller businesses and startups trying to reach potential hires

If there’s a line for a table, that’s easy: it's likely a popular company, students wanting to somehow get their resume looked at and reviewed and potentially land them an interview or internship.

If there’s no line, that might be a company that’s trying to get their name out, or market their opportunity to a candidate pool that may be in a “buyer’s market” - lower unemployment numbers generally mean candidates have their choice of employment opportunities. 

Herein lies the buying/selling conundrum and a flurry of questions:

• Who is selling whom on their qualifications? 
• How long should you really wait in line to meet with a prospective employer?
• Are we still in an age where we need to hand a paper resume over to someone, can’t that process be completely electronic?
• Do we need job fairs or are they going the way of trade shows where the web and applicant tracking applications are pushing them towards extinction?
• What are you realistically going to accomplish with a few minutes at an employer’s table? 

If you’re buying, your number one goal is getting contact info to follow up if you decide you have more questions. Don’t try to accomplish all the information gathering with the recruiter in that moment. They need to use the time efficiently.

If you’re selling, your number one goal is a follow up opportunity to cut through the clutter and not just be one of seventy people that the recruiter meets that day. Same thing: get contact info so you can connect on LinkedIn and build a connection. Just doing this will put you ahead of 70% of the people in terms of recruiter attention and interest.

Candidate: “Hi, I’m (name), I’m (just a) sophomore here at (school) studying (intended major) and I’m really excited about (company’s industry) and want to know if you have any opportunities for (intended major) students?”

The candidate may have their vision of their future. They show that to the employer. The employer has THEIR version of the future, and they have to now see if there is any sort of intersection.

Recruiters attend a lot of job fairs. Employers have a limited amount of time to see as many potentially qualified candidates as possible. Candidates have limited time to meet with as many companies as they can.

It’s an inefficient process, and even worse if a candidate has to wait in line for something that may end up not being worth their time.

Some tips for candidates:

• Augment, don’t re-state your resume verbally. Instead, summarize it: “As you can see, I’ve done several stints as a front-end developer” or “I’ve had customer service roles would like to pursue more managerial experience” - reference but don’t regurgitate the resume.
• Research in advance if you’re selling yourself: “I saw that you have a coordinator role and I think that would be a perfect next step because of the experience I received while at (company) in my most recent internship.
• Be direct: “Do you have any concerns looking at my resume or from anything I’ve told you?” - that kind of directness will often yield a similarly candid response.
• Ask more open-ended questions: “what should I be doing in order to be the most desirable candidate amongst all these other students in here?”
• Be confident: “may I give you a copy of my resume?” - don’t fret if it’s a no: some employers may decline if they are a paperless company or do everything via their online recruiting tools. Wait and let the recruiter scan it quickly, they will likely offer up a useful question if you are patient and quiet enough. Ask for a business card.
• Ask for a clear next step. Ask politely for a business card and offer a simple “what is the best thing for me to do next” or more boldly, “when should I follow up with you?”
• Write a thank-you note follow up, even if the company says “we’ll contact you.” - mention something about the interaction to show you’re not just sending a generic message (“I’m the student who you spilled your coffee on”, or “you and I discussed the Peace Corps”) - pick something memorable.

We’re taught not to take candy from strangers, but that’s exactly what some employers put out on their table (or USB chargers, water canisters or frisbees). Instead of a scary looking van, they have a bunch of job descriptions, but it’s still a big unknown.

Do your homework upfront and you’ll find the job fair to be the perfect way to cut to the front of the line if you’re looking to differentiate yourself from the crowd.

What do you think? Are job fairs worth your time? Do they leave you feeling motivated or frustrated? Was it worth putting on that suit and those uncomfortable shoes?