using job fairs for job searches

[sondra_finchley]

I was just speaking with a friend of mine in the Bay Area who was yakking about a bunch of interviews he got/contacts he made by going to university job fairs in that area. Hes my age (29) and never went to any of those schools. Has anyone else experience with this technique? I always figured they would ask to see a student id or something, or you would have to register. I asked a few times and he didnt answer so... just curious.

Rather surprised by the response he got and the companies he is currently speaking with, though waiting to set up interviews.

[wordsmith]

I went to a job fair at a university this summer that was open to the public...not just for students. There was a good mix of both in attendance. I'm 29.

[PenforPrez]

I've done a few non-university job fairs where I live. Of course, living in a rural area, those employers were not looking for educated workers like myself, so it didn't work very well. Job fairs can be a real crapshoot.

Paul

[NewMrs.]

I've attended several job fairs that were held at a college but were not specifically only for the students of that particular college. Some of these were open to anybody living in that region. These fairs usually had a $5-$10 cover charge, and if you registered ahead of time, you could get a listing of the employers expected to be there so that you could plan your trip ahead of time.

I have been both to job fairs for the general public and job fairs directed towards graduates with higher education. I definitely got more out of the job fairs directed towards people with higher education, although I can't think of a single job I've actually held that I landed through a job fair.

[wordsmith]

I got several interviews and one job offer out of the one I attended. It was sponsored by idealist.org and the hosting university, which was in an urban area, and was all nonprofit jobs. It had a lot of cool orgs.

[sondra_finchley]

Ok good to know! I think his gist was that he went to make contacts and speak with people and not end up in the crapshoot of the online resume world. Ill poke around and see if there are any coming up at local schools for me in the area im targeting.

[wordsmith]

I think his gist was that he went to make contacts and speak with people and not end up in the crapshoot of the online resume world.

I found this to be the case. You're always more memorable as a face and personality than as an e-mailed PDF.