Why Should a Jobseeker Attend a Job Fair?

On our jobseeker survey we did at the Pittsburgh Diversity Employment Expo at the end of March we had a number of comments expressing frustration over some companies in attendance telling them they had to go online to their website or another internet service in order to apply. They wondered what the point was then for them to be at the job fair.

The answer is lies in understanding why these companies attend job fairs. Many companies send representatives to job fairs solely for informational purposes. Often jobseekers lack understanding of what a particular company looks for in a candidate or what types of employment are available. This is why companies attend job fairs. It gives them an opportunity to meet face to face with potential candidates to engage them about what the company is looking for. Many jobseekers misunderstand when they walk into a job fair that it is all about trying to be a match for that company. For most companies, including us here at The Employment Guide, it’s just as important that the company be a match for the jobseeker. The value of attending a job fair to the jobseeker is to find the right match before applying. It is also very possible to make such an impression on the company representatives that they will look for your online application after the job fair is over.

A second reason many companies want only online applications is to screen candidates on their computer skills. Being able to use a computer at work has become so ubiquitous that even entry level hourly positions like security guards and janitors are required to have at least some computer literacy.

The next time you attend a job fair, whether one of ours or any other, don’t be dismayed if the company you had the most interest in asks you to go online to apply. You still have the opportunity to make yourself stand out as a candidate plus be able to screen the company as well!