Are Job Fairs Dead?

Are Job Fairs Dead?

In this day and age, everything can be accessed online. So does that mean job fairs are the thing of the past? Some may say yes, they are obsolete, but others may argue that job fairs are here to stay. Using 2017 data from more than 300 organizations, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that, on average, employers are attending 41 career fairs per year. That is 10 more than the average from 2015. That is a large number of job fairs – and many opportunities to connect with a variety of organizations you love or have never heard of!

If you are in school or searching for your next career opportunity, attending a job fair could be an advantage to you landing your next job opportunity.

It’s hard to believe that in this technological world an old-school career fair could be still relevant. Here are some advantages to why job fairs are still worth your time:

Networking Made Easy(er):
Job fairs allow you to make face-to-face contact with a recruiter, HR, or a hiring manager that you would not be able to make through social media or an online application. They also allow you to surround yourself with other job seekers, you never know who could have the potential to help you out! The key as a job seeker is to make and find as many connections as possible and to leverage those connections to have a higher chance of landing your next job.

There Are Way More Job fairs Than You Think:
Colleges are everywhere in the Merrimack Valley / Greater Boston area just google your local community college you are bound to come up with a job fair near you. However, don’t solely rely on colleges check out your community centers and career centers near you to see if they are hosting any job fairs. Check out our next job fair we will be attending, August 15th, at the Lowell Spinners Field!

Career Planning Tool:
Can’t envision your next career path? Job fairs allow you to make a face-to-face connection with someone who works at a company or even fills the shoes of the job they are hiring for. This allows you to get a small feel of what the job is actually like and could spark your interest in a potential new career path.

*Stay tuned for our next blog post on how to prep for a job fair!*