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If you have never attended a Job or Career Fair, whether in-person or virtually, you may be missing out on a great opportunity to potentially land a job in your desired field or with a company that really interests you. In this post, we’ll answer some of the frequently asked questions about these popular events.

Q. What is a job or career fair?

A. A job fair or career fair is an event, either in-person or virtual, intended to bring together employers and job seekers. Employers use job fairs to recruit for open positions and as an opportunity to showcase their companies and career opportunities to job seekers who may be unfamiliar with their organizations or who have not previously considered seeking employment with them. Job seekers attend job fairs to learn about companies, identify current job openings of interest (either permanent positions or internships), get their resumes directly in front of corporate recruiters, and even attend interviews. A job fair helps to bypass the otherwise lengthy and often unsuccessful approach of simply responding to job board postings.

Although the terms “job fair” and “career fair” are frequently used interchangeably, there may be differences. Job fairs tend to focus specifically on recruiting and filling open positions. Career fairs, in addition to recruiting and filling open positions, may also offer programs and other resources of general interest to job seekers. In this article, the term “job fair” will be used and refers to both types.

Q. Who organizes and conducts job fairs?

A. Job fairs may be conducted by:

• Colleges seeking to assist students in securing job and/or internship opportunities
• Individual companies and organizations recruiting for open job positions
• Governmental entities recruiting for open job positions
• Community or governmental programs that provide job search training or assistance
• Private companies specializing in promoting and conducting job fairs

Q. Do attendees have to pay to attend a job fair?

A. Job seekers are typically not charged a fee to attend a job fair. Job fair organizers make money or offset costs by charging companies to participate.

Q. What are the different types of job fairs?

A. Job fairs may be held either in person or virtually (online).

An in-person job fair involves attendees physically walking around and visiting booths or tables staffed by company representatives or recruiters. Job seekers have the opportunity to speak with the representatives to learn more about each company and their available positions and to present a resume. Actual interviews may be conducted on the spot or scheduled for later.

With a virtual job fair, job seekers submit resumes in advance online to all or individually selected participating companies. If a job seeker is a good match with a company or position, a video conferencing session is scheduled and may include a job interview.

Q. Are job fairs open to the public?

A. While most job fairs are open to the public, some are not. For example, some colleges may restrict registration to only current students or only students enrolled in specific programs such as engineering, business, etc. Large, geographically diverse corporations may also hold internal job fairs for their current employees to recruit for positions within their organization. This approach helps them retain current employees who may not be aware of the various opportunities and locations available and who might otherwise seek jobs with other employers.

Q. Do I need to register to attend a job fair?

A. Some job fairs permit walk-ins while others require job seekers to preregister. Check the details on the job fair listing to learn whether registration is required. By their nature, virtual job fairs will, at a minimum, require registration and online submission of a resume and/or cover letter. If an applicant is matched with a position for an interview, an appointment may be scheduled.

Q. What are other reasons to attend a job fair?

A. Job fairs may offer additional valuable resources such as resume reviews, classes on resume writing, sessions on how to interview, job search techniques, and other topics of interest to job seekers.

Q. How do I find out about upcoming job fairs?

A. Information regarding upcoming job fairs may be found through numerous sources, including:

• Online websites & job boards
• College & university career centers
• Community employment assistance organizations
• Job boards for the federal government and individual states, counties, and cities
• Local newspapers

Q. What are some online resources for finding job fairs?

A. Here are a few sites to check out. CAVEAT: Career Lantern has not investigated these sites, has no connection with these organizations/sites, and lists them only as a convenience for you to research further. This is not an exhaustive list; other potential resources may be found through searching online.

• JobFairX (virtual job fairs)
• CareerEco (virtual job fairs)
• USAJOBS (Federal jobs website for the United States Office of Personnel Management also listing in-person and virtual career fairs)
• Eventbrite (enter “career fairs” in the search bar for both in-person and virtual career fairs)
• DAV (Disabled American Veterans virtual and in-person career fairs)
• Indeed (enter “hiring events” in the search bar)
• Handshake (if your school does not already partner with Handshake, create an account)

Q. What are a few suggestions regarding attending in-person job fairs?

A. For in-person job fairs:

• Arrive early to park close, especially if inclement weather is expected
• Dress professionally
• Even if you already submitted your resume online when registering, take physical copies to hand recruiters
• Take more copies of your resume than you think you will need as you may discover additional employers you wish to meet
• Use a folder to carry and organize your resumes, papers, and materials you may be given by recruiters
• Take 2 pens and a pad of paper for notes
• Wear comfortable shoes as you will be walking and standing on your feet for hours
• Collect business cards from the recruiters you meet and send a thank you email to those with whom you spend time (see the Career Lantern podcast and article on this topic)

Q. What are a few suggestions regarding attending virtual job fairs?

A. For virtual jobs fairs:

• Dress professionally, just as you would for an in-person event
• Select a location free from noise and interruptions
• Your background should be free of clutter or other distractions
• Prior to the session, test your equipment and internet connection to ensure proper operation
• Have a PDF of your resume ready to send if requested
• Send a thank you email to those with whom you meet (see the Career Lantern podcast and article on this topic)

Agree? Disagree? Share your experience? Feel free to leave a comment!

Featured image courtesy of Quark Studio at Pexels.com.