Career Services at the University of Utah holds a career fair twice a year, usually in October and February.  Our most recent career fair on February 10th saw some 90 employers in attendance.  I was curious to determine how my group of alumni job seekers fared at this event.  Did they find it useful?  Make important connections or contacts?  What actual benefit did they derive from being there? What I learned provided many insights. But more on that in a bit.

There is a long history of career fairs at colleges and universities across the United States. Every career counseling office touts the importance of their clients’ attending these career events to meet with recruiters, understand organizational hiring needs, and make a positive impression with recruiters. In turn, employers use career fairs to increase awareness of their companies, to distribute career and PR information, and to identify potential candidates for internship and professional opportunities.

During the current economic slowdown—or meltdown, to be more accurate—many employers are cutting back on hiring. Take one example: UPS, a long-term veteran of the career fair, experienced a $2.5 billion loss during the last quarter. At the same time, the Social Security Administration expressed hope for the now $700-plus billion stimulus package and, as a government agency, is likely to expand its hiring capacity. Other companies present instead warned of the misleading notions of recession-proof industries.

Over the years, I have heard from students and alumni that they found their position at one of our career fairs. From the point of view of the job seeker—and particularly my alumni job seekers—they make an effort to drive to campus dressed in their business finery with the hope of meeting an actual recruiter, at which point they try to advance their résumé ahead of someone else’s by presenting a strong “elevator” (short but to the point) speech.  The goal is to stand out from the pack and advance professionalism, their earnestness, and their seriousness about working for a particular company. Yet, many feel slapped in the face when the recruiter says: “Go home and apply online; we are not taking résumés.” Which makes them ask, “Is this recruiting?  Why even bother to attend?” Unfortunately, some company HR recruiters appear to be barely going through the motions during their time at the fair.

So, at the Friday Job Club (see right sidebar) following the fair, I asked some 26 participants their thoughts about the usefulness of such events. Those alumni who had prepared for the career fair targeted only about 10 companies in which they had an interest. They focused on a meaningful exchange with the recruiter or asked for the name of a particular department head or specific hiring manager. Some commented on how helpful certain individuals had been. One recruiter in particular, Scott Snarr, at L-3 Communications, was singled out by many as being extraordinarily helpful and interested in each candidate. Others lamented that some recruiters appeared bored, dismissive, and uninterested. 

From the recruiter’s point of view, some of the students and alumni fail to do the necessary homework in order to be ready to talk to company recruiters.  I chatted with one recruiter from Williams Co., Inc. at lunch who told me that when someone asks, “What does your company do?” and she has to tell them, “We’re in the natural gas business,” she knows the person doesn’t really have an interest in her company because they have done no prior research. This is extremely off-putting to recruiters. Another thing that recruiters don’t appreciate is the persistent snatching and grabbing of goodies off their tables by anyone who walks by. Everything seems to be fair game, including a recruiter’s jacket or coat.  Ouch!!

Nick Corcodilos, who writes the column “Ask the Headhunter,” argues that recruiters don’t actually recruit. Due to the sheer volume and numbers of résumés they receive, recruiters limit their hiring to individuals who “come to them.” Instead of pursuing the people they want, they take what comes along. Corcodilos wonders why organizations don’t have two tiers of recruiters: those who pursue top talent in the field and those who manage applicants.

My conclusion? The jury is still out as to whether career fairs are helpful to alumni and student job seekers. About half the group I queried felt it had been useful and the other half, useless. However, one Job Club attendee sent me the following report:

Could you please pass on my heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in putting together the career fair?  It really helped me to see that some of the companies where I had been hoping to work really weren’t the gems I thought they were, and it introduced me to some “diamonds” who I hadn’t considered before.

—Maria

So as long as employers are willing to participate, we will continue to hold career fairs (virtual career fairs haven’t really caught on yet). And, for the time being, we will continue to tout the importance of attending career fairs to our job-seeking clients—armed with proper preparation, of course.

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Need help in your job search? Contact Julie Swaner, Program Manager, Alumni Career Services, (801) 585-5036.

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