McBride Career Group: Job Fair Joys

The Newsy Neighbour
September Issue 107
www.thenewsyneighbour.com

Provided by Gaylene Smith of McBride Career Group

Recently, Costco and the Calgary Airport Authority hosted Job Fairs, which shouldn’t be newsworthy events, but boy were they ever. I’m sure you saw the news footage of the line to get in – a lineup longer than you’d find for the only washroom at a convention full of pregnant women. (Make sure you go to the washroom before you go to a momma and baby show at the BMO Centre!) Perhaps you were even one of the job seekers to stand in line at those events. (I really hope you got an interview for your effort alone!)

I’m afraid that is the reality of our current job market. There are far fewer jobs than people looking for work, and just like the only woman in a town full of men, employers can be very picky about who they form a relationship with. (There was a T.V. series about this called “Men in Trees”; it made me want to move to Alaska) As I watched the news coverage, I played a little game in my mind. The narrative went like this, “interview, interview, nope, nope, interview, nope, oh Lord no, what where they thinking, interview, really - pyjama bottoms - did you mistake this for a slumber party?”

Yep, I was judging people based on their looks alone; something I believe to be wrong, rude and all sorts of unfair, BUT… realize this; at the other end of that enormous lineup, there is a person feeling beyond overwhelmed, stressed and exhausted, who has been given the task of screening out candidates, so that instead of a thousand resumes being dumped on the HR department’s desks, only 1/3 or less end up there. 

Sure, they might ask you a few questions, but odds are they have already formed an opinion of you based on your appearance. So treat job fairs like preliminary interviews. Dress for success. That doesn’t mean three piece suits and ties unless the job you are looking for would require a suit as your daily outfit. If you are applying for a job on a construction site, clean jeans and a nicely pressed button-up shirt will do. For an office job, a shirt and tie may be the way to go. Make sure you are clean shaven or your facial hair is trimmed neatly, brush your hair and please brush your teeth. I know I sound like your mother. Ladies, carefully apply your makeup, but remember: you’re applying makeup for a job search, not a night out at Cowboys. Try to pick out something that will stand up to standing in line for hours. Leave the power shoes that may give you a boost in height and confidence at home. After the second hour, the only thing your Jimmy Choo’s will give you is a blister and an increasingly bad attitude and bad attitudes show. Lastly, and I can’t stress this enough…NO PYJAMAS! Even if they are your best going out ones.

Have several clean copies of your resume printed up and ready to hand out, and keep them in a folder or portfolio. This will keep them crisp and wrinkle-free as you slowly progress forward. You may even want to have several different resumes prepared. You don’t want to be applying for a security job with your childcare resume, although being trained in the use of a taser might be appropriate for some childcare jobs (kidding!) Employers get so many resumes at a job fair, you want to make sure yours is easy to read and the important information pops out. Ask each and every employer you meet for their business card. Jot down a few notes about what that employer is looking for, and then within the next 24 hours send them an email thanking them for the opportunity. You may even want to consider updating your resume based on what you learned at the job fair and sending the revised issue along with your thank you email. Sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? It should be. You aren’t going to get a job just for showing up anymore. Your job search is a job in itself. The good news is there are Career and Employment supports throughout the province, you can access for free. Check out the Alberta Learning Information Services website and Alberta Works for a directory of agencies, or stop in at McBride Career Group for more information and mark your calendar for Tuesday, September 13^th. McBride will be hosting a job fair from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm with several local and regional companies that are hiring. I hope to see you all there dressed for success.