The opportunity to meet many employers all in one place and leave your CV on the company’s stand, to take part in training sessions and workshops. These are just some of the few advantages of taking part in a job fair. What are some of the other reasons why it’s a good idea to go to career-building events?

 

First-time job seekers or people who want to switch jobs should consider going to job fairs. These kinds of events are held annually in Poland’s biggest cities, typically in the spring or autumn, and see employers interact with job seekers. These events have grown so popular in recent years that you’re sure to come across information about the upcoming ones in the media e.g. in industry journals, local press, in online services, as well as at university career centers or the unemployment office. Companies who are looking for workers and are keen to build employer branding frequently participate in job fairs, because they get the opportunity to directly reach out to potential job seekers. People who are looking to find employment with a specific employer should check whether that employer will in fact be present at the job fair. If so, it’s a good idea to go to the employer’s stand and explore the many opportunities that are available when directly liaising with the company’s representative.

 

Get to know multiple employers under one roof

Job fairs are primarily organized in mind with university students and graduates, the unemployed and for people who are looking to switch jobs. Visitors get to meet representatives of local and international companies, all under one roof. It’s worth noting, that employers may be present at multiindustry events like Absolvent Talent Days, Targi Pracy Career Expo or Dni Kariery, at fairs held by unemployment offices or at events targeted at one or several job seeker groups e.g. at IT professionals, such as Targi Kariera IT or CareerCon. When wondering which career event to take part in, job seekers should first check out which companies are going to be present. It’s also a good idea to check who the job fair’s target group is to ensure this event isn’t held for just one industry or an occupation that has no connection to what the job seeker is interested in – says Magdalena Szewczyk, a Team Leader with Professional.

 

Leave your CV

One important advantage of going to a job fair is that you can leave your CV at the given company’s stand. When a vacancy comes up that matches a job seeker’s profile, the potential employer will get to contact him immediately and suggest he take part in recruitment process underway. It’s not uncommon for a CV that was handed to someone who was directly responsible for recruiting at the stand to prove so interesting that the job seeker will be instantly invited in for an interview.

 

- Just because a company isn’t recruiting for a position you’re interested in right now doesn’t mean that it won’t be recruiting for it a month from now. There are good odds that your CV will be added to the company’s database of applicants enabling it to get in touch with the job seeker when recruiting going forward – believes Professional’s Magdalena Szewczyk.

 

Explore the newest jobs, internships and traineeships

Going to a job fair is also a way to explore the available jobs and career paths at given companies, which is something a job advert won’t detail. They’re pre-selected and addressed at the target group of fair goers. This is mainly true for industry events addressed at university graduates. Apart from job offers, employers advertise internships or traineeships in their companies. By participating in a graduate or student program you get to acquaint yourself with the given job‘s description and get hands-on experience by working with people who are often experts in their respective fields. This is one of the ways toward starting a career with your preferred company.

 

Find out employer requirements

During job fairs, employers increasingly often encourage job seekers to take part in brief recruitment interviews to get an idea of their work experience. This is an excellent way for companies to check whether job seeker experience and know-how meet their requirements. On the other hand, a job seeker who goes to a job fair and sits down for an interview may get to find out what skills he needs to acquire to be eligible for a specific job. This will be a worthwhile experience for all job seekers, making them aware of what competencies they still need to improve on.

 

Benefit from career advice and take part in a workshop

Job seekers who go to job fairs get to meet with career counsellors who will help them identify their key strengths and improvement areas and advise on what steps to take to get a job that will make the best use of the job seeker’s experience, know-how and competencies.

 

- It’s important to keep in mind that career counselling is free. It often helps effectively guide candidates toward the right career paths – emphasizes Magdalena Szewczyk.

 

One inseparable part of a job fair is educational activities in the form of discussion panels, lectures and workshops. They tend to primarily focus on such things as self-presentation, preparing for a job interview and the latest trends in the job market. Training is usually delivered by professionals from various companies, who readily share their know-how with fair goers. Participation in discussion panels and workshops is free of charge, but occasionally admission may be on a first-come basis due to the limited number of seats available.

 

Find out about the company from its own people

By meeting face-to-face with the company’s people, potential job seekers can ask them questions about the employer and what it’s like to work there. It’s a good idea to think about what you’d like to ask about before approaching a stand.

 

- Getting to meet with a HR person face-to-face during a job fair will certainly feel less official and will provide job seekers with an opportunity to ask more questions. These can be related to more than just a specific position or requirements. Applicants typically want to know what the working atmosphere is like inside the company and what the expectations are with regard to the people who apply for a given position. A job seeker certainly won’t find out more from a job advert than from a person who actually works for a company he’d like to be hired by – says Magdalena Szewczyk.

 

Job fairs are a very good opportunity for job seekers to sell themselves to the people who represent the companies they’d like to work for. If, during a job fair, a job seeker ends up impressing his potential employer with some industry know-how or exceptionally good manners, there’s a high likelihood he will be remembered and so will boost his odds of getting invited for an interview. It’s important to bear in mind, that during a face-to-face discussion, first impressions always end up driving the rest of the interaction.