Job fair how long

Watch a demo. Job Fair. HR Encyclopedia Job Fair. Recruiting for potential employees is a never-ending job, and is more effective with a diverse set of approaches. Posting jobs online will probably always be a primary avenue, but job fairs are one possibility many recruiters forget to consider. Read on to decide if job fairs are for you, and how to go about it if they are. What Is a Job Fair? Career Fairs vs Job Fairs A career fair is more geared towards students or soon-to-be graduates.

Are Job Fairs Worth It? Quality Candidates. Job fairs generally provide opportunities to meet qualified, motivated candidates; if they show up to a job fair, they are serious about finding a job. You will meet candidates who are looking for a specific kind of job or to work in a specific kind of industry, so they have training and perhaps experience. Job fairs give you a great opportunity to meet diverse candidates with solid work experience.

Another benefit of job fairs is that you meet a lot of candidates in a short time, and interact with people from all kinds of backgrounds.

You should be able to find a larger volume of candidates at one time than on online job boards. Job fairs allow you to interact with other employers. While working a booth beside another employer, you get a chance to know your competition. You can see what they have to offer and how it compares to your company, and you can create relationships that lead to potential partnerships down the road. Learning the industry.

Going to job fairs gives you the opportunity to understand what it might take for your company to take the next step. You can see what employees are looking for in their next job, what is making other companies successful, and what potential changes you need to make to stay competitive.

Here are four places you can look: 1. State Employment Agencies State employment agencies often sponsor job fairs. National Career Fairs National Career Fairs is another organization that specializes in in-person career and job fairs. Handshake If you are targeting college students, Handshake is a great organization to check with.

Local Educational Institutions Universities generally host career fairs, but it is still important to be aware of what events local universities are putting on. How to Succeed at a Job Fair It is important to prepare and strategize before you go to a job fair.

Step 2: Set Goals How many jobs do you want to fill? Your booth. For in-person events, you need to create a booth or a table. Learn what is provided and consider what you want to add. It might be as simple as bringing a green plant and a bowl of candy, or you might want a more polished, inviting look. Bring a laptop so applicants can apply for jobs while at your booth.

Job fairs should provide WiFi, but confirm before participating. Job posting board. This list of current openings can be presented in any way, even a simple poster board. Candidates need to see what jobs you have available before they apply. Make sure you bring plenty of swag to hand to candidates. Failing to do so might make a bad impression in comparison to other companies.

Swag ideas include pens, shirts, bottles, candy, giftcards, hats, etc. The more unique your swag, the more likely you will stand out and attract people to your booth. Swag is helpful to give to candidates as it makes your booth memorable and gives them something to remember your company by.

Virtual job fairs. In virtual job fairs, you will still want to present professionally; you just need to present through a screen instead of a booth. Instead of swag, you can use giveaways, as described below, that can happen over the airwaves. Ideas for Job Fair Giveaways People always enjoy receiving things at job fairs, as it creates buzz and makes their experience memorable. Giftcards Have candidates enter a drawing for a gift card.

Competitions As part of your booth, you can run some kind of competition for people to win. Company Quizzes You can have candidates fill out a quiz about your company and reward them for how well they do. How long are job fairs? Job fairs often go most of the day, so maybe a. How does a virtual job fair work? In a virtual online job fair, employers and potential candidates meet through chat rooms, teleconferencing, webcasts, webinars, and even email. Tanner Pierce, PHR.

View Author Page. Want to contribute to our HR Encyclopedia? Sign Up Now. Other Related Terms. Applicant Tracking System. Behavioral Interviewing. Billboard Recruiting. Boomerang Employee. Campus Recruitment. Candidate Experience. Candidate Pipeline. Career Gap. Careers Page. Co-Op Program. Contrast Effect. Most job fairs offer the opportunity to pre-register by submitting your resume online. Uploading your resume gives employers the opportunity to prescreen you before the event.

Even if you send your resume beforehand, bring several copies to the career fair. Most career fairs have several employers attending. There won't be time to talk to everyone, so you need a plan of action. Reseach the organizations to see who is hiring for positions you qualify for. Then look at the company's website to learn about their culture. Websites like GlassDoor. Here are some facts to investigate:. Another benefit of GlassDoor. People who have interviewed at the company before you list some of the questions they were asked.

While you might not actually secure a full interview until after the fair it is still important to think about how you will answer each question in the event that you are asked some. You don't need to memorize a response word-for-word, but preparing ahead will allow you to display your strengths more effectively. Speaking of questions, it is important to make a list of questions you would like to ask the potential employer.

Not only will this show initiative it will also demonstrate to the employer that you have taken a serious interest in their company. I realize that it can be rather depressing to spend two quick minutes with a Recruiter after a thirty-minute wait, but that is the reality of the meat market mentality of job fairs.

Just make sure you know what the next step will be and follow up. This is not the time to cross your fingers and hope—take charge and make things happen. You should be ready with a clear and succinct description of exactly what you are seeking. If you have done your homework properly, what you are seeking should match quite nicely with what they are seeking.

Your comeback question after you have given your second elevator pitch : "And what type of candidates are you seeking? Use the Personality Matching Technique found in the Mastering the Interview section to create a connection when interacting with recruiters. If you use this simple technique, you will not only gain instant rapport, you will also greatly increase your odds of being called back for secondary interviews.

In fact, to be truly outstanding at interviewing, you will need to read and understand all of the interviewing information on this site. Read it before you attend any job fairs or interviews. Toggle navigation. Find Jobs. Entry Level. Screening Interview By far the most common type of job fair interview.