Sponsorship Guide
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By Charles E. Henderson, Jr.
With the onslaught of layoffs many find themselves attending career fairs. At first glance, career fairs seem fairly straightforward. Candidates register, walk in, pass out resumes, take a giveaway, leave and wait for "The Call." However, there is a way to manage career fairs that will enhance your ability to secure employment. The key to successful career fair management is to understand the various components involved and execute a plan.
Research
The best way to attack a career fair is to have a plan. Efficient research before the career fair will ensure candidates prioritize their time. Candidates who have a plan of attack will not spend an inordinate amount of time with companies that are not recruiting their skill set and may not be an overall fit. The tips below are useful in planning for a career fair.
- Visit the career fair sponsor's website. It will be listed in the print ads. If on radio, listen to the sponsor information. It is normally given at the end of the radio commercial.
- Pre-register for the career fair online. Avoid long lines the day of the career fair that waste job search time.
- A list of exhibitors or employers will appear in most advertising prior to the career fair. In addition, the information will be on the career fair sponsor's website. Visit the websites of the employers to determine the priority of visits the day of the career fair.
- Apply online for open positions listed on the company's website.
Read articles mentioning the company to help determine the stability and future growth. The most cost-efficient way to find articles about a company is to use the Internet. Visit a site such as www.wsj.com (The Wall Street Journal).
Recruiters
Recruiters know what they are looking for at a career fair. Their minds are focused on finding the advertised skill set and company fit. The standards by which candidates are measured are already walking the corridors of the hiring company. If a candidate does not seem like the hiring company's existing employees, they are politely placed in the "other" pile.
Recruiters have a system. The recruiting team of a company will normally include the recruiter or other Human Resources personnel and hiring managers. They will meet before the career fair to determine how resumes will be ranked and filed. Rankings are from A-best to D-do not ever call. When the career fair is over, the resumes are taken back to the office and entered into an applicant tracking system. Recruiters throughout the company can search the database of the tracking system for candidates whose qualifications match open requisitions. If a candidate at a career fair meets the advertised skill set and seems to be a company fit, then the hiring process is accelerated so he/she can be recruited quickly. This candidate is the reason recruiters go to career fairs. It is like going fishing. A fisherman will catch a number of fish, but the prize catch is what makes the whole trip worthwhile.
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