What Are Career Fairs: Are They Worth It?

In the realm of professional respect, career fairs are an underdog. Often portrayed as annoying obligations, career fairs may in fact be just what you need to boost your career opportunities, or hire a new star employee, or be yet another disappointment. Read on to find out how career fairs can help or harm you.

Sometimes referred to as job fairs or recruitment fairs, these events are dedicated to scouting future employees. Often hosted by universities or colleges, some fairs are designed with student’s futures in mind. There are also career fairs organized around a specific industry. These fairs welcome everyone interested in that particular field.

The Help

Typically, career fairs host stations or booths where businesses have representatives to answer questions and scout for new talent. There will be presentations throughout the event. They may be in the form of seminars or panel speakers. These presentations can be very beneficial for gaining insight into a particular business or industry, so note your areas of interest and schedule your day.

Most career fairs won’t end with you having a firm job offer, so don’t get your hopes too high. Rather, these fairs are an opportunity to learn from leaders in your field, and form relationships to help further your career. This may come in the form of a future employer, business partner or mentor. To ensure you’re putting your best foot forward, make sure you’ve appropriately prepared for the career fair.

The Harm

Though there can be splendid opportunities found at career fairs, not all fairs are created equal. Some fairs may truly be a waste of your time. With the dawn of the Internet age, talent scouting, recruitment and job hunting have become more and more accessible without the need to attend a fair.

Attending a career fair with little opportunity or participation will be a waste of your time. You may end up walking away with nothing more than a bag full of branded pens and notepads. If businesses aren’t really invested in hiring (and are taking part out of obligation), you may end up being endlessly directed to filling out online applications. That’s not a position you want to put yourself in, your time is valuable!

Check out Workopolis’ guide to the best career fairs in Canada to help you pick out the fairs worth attending.

Virtual Fairs

While not a solid replacement for a face-to-face, virtual fairs offer some advantages.  Since CoVID-19 has changed much of the business world, virtual fairs are currently trending. Some platforms have launched specifically from CoVID-19, but others existed prior to the pandemic and should be considered as more reputable options.

When considering a job fair, prioritize fostering relationships for the future as well as the present. You never know when you may need those connections along the way.

BCJobs Virtual Career Fairs

On May 13, the largest virtual career fair in BC was hosted by BCJobs.ca in partnership with BC Tech Association, WorkBC, and HR Tech Group. The event featured 200 attendees, including 15 moderators and company representatives from 9 organizations. Follow our Meetup Group and Eventbrite Page to be notified of the next virtual career fair.

Click below to learn more about our virtual career fairs.

• Virtual Career Fair – May 13th – Virtual Tech Talent Day
• BC Jobs: Hosts 1st Virtual Marketing Career Fair

About the Author

Simon Chou is the Vice President of Operations and Growth at BCjobs.ca. Over the course of his career, he carved a niche in brand development,  marketing strategy, and online presence for startups. Prior to BC Jobs, he served as a marketing advisor for high-profile blockchain projects including Litecoin, NEM, and Ripple. He’s also worked with fortune 500 companies in the healthcare space.