Career Fair Understandings

What better opportunity to meet a potential candidate face to face and to get a first impression, than at a career fair! True, first impressions are like movie auditions (an act to make yourself look better than you are to land that gig), but these are still a great way to meet great candidates and possible NEW hirees. That all being said; these events can become extremely tiring, and even inevitably hectic if you do not have the proper preparation at the helm. Lack of screening, tons of resumes, and the chaos of the day can take athe grandest of productive ideas and make it a complete cluster-bomb. If you want to take advantage of career fairs without acquiring a giant headache, here are some tips from Dr. Erica L. Fener, to keep your search focused and successful.


Make sure all YOUR paperwork is prepared in advance. Job seekers will be trying to get all of their documentation in order, and it is equally important that all of your ducks are in a row as well. Make sure the job fair organizers have created an accurate description of your company or group and that your booth’s location has been correctly listed. If possible, post the kinds of jobs you are seeking to fill in the career fair’s online forum before the event begins.

Make sure your staffers know what’s up. The people representing your company help ensure that specialists in your field,  not people without the qualifications you are looking for, fill out your application. Make sure that whoever is staffing your booth knows exactly what you are looking for and can speak at length about your organization, the positions you are looking to fill, and what the hiring protocol is.

Make your hiring protocol crystal clear. Because the number of people attending job fairs can be quite large, it can be tempting to blur lines and allow for exceptions to your normal hiring procedures to accommodate the sheer volume of potential applicants. Employers, however, should adhere to their standard hiring practices at a career fair for everything, from the type of applicant you are looking for to how positions are pitched to prospective employees, from what application procedures and resumes will be accepted at the fair to when people can expect to hear back from you. Having a solid outline of how the day will go keeps you from missing a great opportunity or taking on dead weight.

Take a look at the college angle. If the career fair is happening at an academic institution, use that venue to your advantage. Prepare a list of appropriate majors and minors and other academic requirements for the positions you want to fill. Is your company willing to offer internships as well as regular jobs, and are some of the applicants too young? Have a stack of business cards on hand so that you can network today for future assets and employees. In addition, be sure that any of your current employees who are alumni of that particular school are present (if possible) to discuss the transition from college life at that institution into the outside workforce.

Make your booth look awesome. Exciting graphics and pictures of what your company is doing and fun, company-based giveaways, and demonstrations keep people’s attention and attract stronger applicants who may not otherwise have considered your group. Of course, make sure career fair etiquette is in effect — be presentable, on time, and ready to talk.

Personalize the experience. Obviously, not everyone who comes to your booth will be hired the same day as the career fair, or any time for that matter. However, you still should recognize the individual merit of each potential applicant. Spend some face time with each visitor, even if you believe the person is someone you would never hire. Potential applicants who get a good vibe from your company may surprise you on paper, or may become clients and customers in the future.

Remember courtesy counts. Some career fair participants are not as polite as they should be. Stand, rather than sit, at your booth. Shake hands with applicants even if you are afraid of germs and illness (hand sanitizer is usually omnipresent at career fairs). Although office concerns may weigh on your mind, put the phone away. You wouldn’t hire someone who was texting the entire time you were speaking; that’s a two-way street. While there may be pressure to eat quickly at career fairs, make sure that you eat at the appropriate time and in the appropriate place. Unless absolutely necessary, do not leave your booth unmanned. And while colloquialisms may make you seem more relatable to younger applicants, keep conversation polite and vulgarity to an absolute minimum.

Avoid the temptation of the hard sell. You may be very excited about your company, the career fair, and potential employees and job seekers. However, there is such a thing as overkill. Be informative without being domineering. Ask questions when in doubt (e.g., “What are your interests academically?” or “Have you ever considered going into this field?”). Being friendly is great. Being scary is not.

Problematic Hirings of The Newly Graduated

For anyone that has graduated from a university/college, you have first-hand knowledge that it is not an easy task to locate and land a job. Even if you do indeed land one, there's no guarantee that you will be employed for very long. According to the New York Post; this new-grad-group does not have a good image, as they are being called “The Worst Generation,” citing research that shows these new group members as being very narcissistic and with a high sense of entitlement. Many of these newbies come straight out of college, expecting to be in prime position to be atop of the ladder in whichever field they are in. High-dollar salaries, nice lifestyle, and paid time off...a lot of paid time off.

Sadly, it's not completely their fault, as I can attest; many professors, counselors and whathaveyou, will instill in students that they will be asssited in locating/landing a position of high-caliber once they graduate and are also telling the students of how much of an excess of money that CAN be made. What they fail to fully translate to a language that graduation-ready, money-starved students can understand; is that the potential to do so is out there...NOT as soon as you throw that cap in the air and hang up the gown.

"This group was raised to expect, receive, and question everything. This sense of privilege has caused many in this group to lack patience in developing professionally; an unconcern with “paying their dues”; and a different perception of how “work” should work. Research also shows that they often feel entitled to a level of respect and rewards that aren’t in line with their actual ability and effort levels, and so they might not get the level of respect and rewards they are expecting. They feel cheated and might try to obtain rewards they feel they are entitled to through unethical means. For example, they are more likely to manipulate performance data to achieve higher bonuses." quoted from Raghav Singh. He continues with, Census data shows that the likelihood of 20-somethings moving to another state has dropped well over 40 percent since 1980. While there is plenty of demand for workers in skilled trades, many prefer to stay unemployed and few are willing to do this kind of work even though those jobs can pay far more than working in retail or as a waiter or waitress. Having been told by their parents and even icons like the late Steve Jobs to “follow their passion” or “do what you love,” many do just that when it comes to picking a college major, leading to a situation where far too many have degrees that are not particularly valued by employers.

Despite the fact of the highlighted turbulence that befalls the new grads of this generation; they still do have the mindset to make it in the workforce, and the skillset that many employers are looking for and can work with.

Using LinkedIn to Recruit Passive Candidates? Yep!

It’s a fact that companies are still filling 80% of their jobs with active candidates – candidates who are actively seeking other employment. Yet, most of the A-playing talent is found within the passive pool, a much smaller pool. How in the world will you be able to hire quality passive candidates if they are not applying for jobs? The most valuable and effective tool for finding and communicating with passive candidates is LinkedIn!

After reading this tidbit of interesting information; how many of you have been in or have known someone in that very same position? They are brought onto a job into a position that is more or less meant to be a mere stepping stone for what they truly want? Honestly; how many of us can say that we have never been at that same position?

LinkedIn is one sure-fire way to locate those prime-candidates that are not actively seeking other employment. It's as if you are walking around outside the local restaurant, not paying attention, and "OH!" there is a $20 bill that is off to the side, stuck in a bush. Now, you weren't looking for a $20 bill, and oh what an odd occurence that you have found one minus the effort. LinkedIn is your bush to find your $20 bill...uh...candidate.


The quoted first paragraph is from Strategic Advisor, Jennifer Millman.