Shop Talk

I received an email in my inbox about three weeks ago announcing registration for the first ever PRWeek Interactive Career Fair. OK, truth be told, this post has been sitting as a draft for just as long. I blame New Jersey and its life-sucking abilities as the reason for my tardiness in posting. *shakes fist*

Attendees will be able to “visit” booths, chat with recruiters and listen in on live webcasts all for free. What intrigued me most was the idea that job seekers can meet with recruiters without even having to leave the comfort of their own homes.

It’s an interesting concept when you consider the costs that could be involved for job seekers when attending career fairs. Moreover, there’s a bit of a safety net for not-as-qualified candidates without having to invest so much time and money. I personally know people who have taken off from school and/or work to attend career fairs, only to be told that they were not really qualified for any positions the companies were looking to fill.

Will it replace a live career fair? I’m divided on this. I don’t think it should wholly replace face-to-face interaction, though we are seeing an increase in web communication (i.e. blogs, virtual communities - SL, group lists). I see it as an additional networking resource to throw into the mix.

I’m not seeking a job right now as I will be interning this spring, but I signed up and I’m going to explore what the fair has to offer. I mean that is why we attend job fairs, right? Other than to look for jobs or gather information, we attend with the hope that we make a personal connection (or connections) with industry professionals.

If you haven’t registered and are interested, head on over here. The fair will be held on Thursday, Dec. 7 from 9 am to 9 pm. That’s a full day, people! It can’t hurt to at least check it out.

Update 12/8

Geez, I’m such a bad person. Here I am saying everyone should check out the fair and I didn’t even attend. I became sidetracked by a few things offline and totally forgot. I’m too tired to remember what kept me from logging on. Anyway, there’s always next time.