Student recruitment events such as job and career fairs can be a great way of recruiting students for a particular college and/or introducing them into the workforce. As a high school student, they need direction and guidance to help them decide what they want to achieve in their lives. Most high school students have no clue what that might be, although there are exceptions. There are a few of them who know, from a very early age, exactly what they want to do with their life and plan their life accordingly but, unfortunately, most do not. By holding job and career fair events on campus or other locations, students are given the opportunity to learn what is available to them.
How Soon Should a Student Attend a Career Fair?
That is a very good question. Many middle schools include career awareness activities amidst their curriculum that introduce the students to the possibilities of career paths that they can choose from. Having an idea of what they may want to pursue early on can be beneficial in helping them plan better for their future.
By the time they get to high school, academics become more grueling with many students choosing extracurricular activities as well. But, as overwhelming as high school already is, it is still important for them to make the right choices to avoid the pitfalls of missed opportunities later in life. Students should have some idea of the direction they want to take by their first year or two in high school. By doing so, they can better achieve their overall career choices before life takes them by surprise and changes their course in life.
Attending career fairs in the first year or two of high school is definitely worthwhile for a number of reasons. A few of these reasons are:
- Helping them to know what field of study appeals to them
- Knowing sooner what their chosen field of study might be
- Motivation to succeed
- Planning for long-range career paths
Interest surveys can help steer students in the right direction by providing them with insight as to what careers might make them happy as a lifelong career. Knowing what their interests are sooner rather than later helps to plan high school classes appropriately which may even qualify for college credit later. It also helps to motivate students in the right direction to stay focused on their career path, giving them goals to aim for to achieve success.
Another reason for determining what field of study to go into early is that those who decide on a career path that may require many years of study need to know way in advance in order to plan more effectively. Occupations such as doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers among others require several years of higher education beyond high school. Therefore, a lot of planning, goal setting, and applying for scholarships is required ahead of time.
College Career Fairs
Attending college campus career events can be very helpful for those students who have not yet decided what they want to major in or what field of study they want to focus on. These events help them to explore their options or change the direction in which they want to go especially if they feel that the field they have chosen is not measuring up to what they had anticipated.
It is perfectly acceptable and even encouraged for students to change their field of study if they discover it is not for them. Changing their course of study is better to do before too much time has passed and they end up in a career that just makes them miserable. College career fairs can help them decide on a career that better suits them. The more of these career fairs they attend the better off they are because they can be better informed.
Job Fair Events
Job fairs are essential events that help get the student connected with potential employers. Universities hold job fairs as a way of introducing available positions to students.
What are the advantages of attending job fairs?
Some of the advantages are:
- Exposing students to business/company representatives
- Presenting a chance to submit resumes that highlight their skills, talents, and experience (if any)
- Experience of preparing themselves physically and mentally to meet a prospective employer
- Learning what skills are required or expected for various jobs
Most students have very little job experience so attending job fairs opens the door to potential employment through meeting and talking with prospective employers. The advantages of job fairs include a chance to gain the experience of doing a resume and filling out applications for positions that interest them. Through this process, they can learn what works for them as far as what to include and what to leave off (unnecessary information) on their resume or application.
There are various types of resumes. Some employers prefer a brief resume that summarizes their skills and experience while others prefer a more detailed resume. Many employers simply do not have time to go through a stack of resumes that are several pages long. Even though most students may not have a lot of work experience to include on their resume, they may still have enough other pertinent information about themselves to include on their resumes such as extracurricular activities, clubs, organizations, and sports they may have been involved in during their high school as well as college years.
In addition to preparing the resume, the benefit of a face-to-face meeting rather than just submitting resumes by mail or online, is that the students are able to showcase their individual personalities, which gives job recruiters an overall picture of whether or not they would make a good fit for their company. Not only does this benefit the students but also the companies that are represented at these events.
And last, but not least, students can learn what type of skills are needed for the different professions represented at these job fairs. It is a good idea to attend as many job fairs as possible throughout the college years so by the time a student has graduated, he or she should either have secured the type of job they wish to pursue or at least have gathered enough knowledge that they can easily find the type of work they desire.
Virtual Events
For various reasons, in particular, due to the corona-virus pandemic we have experienced over the last two years, many of these events have had to be done a little differently. Along with virtual classroom settings, online classes, and/or regular classes with social distancing and wearing of masks being implemented, virtual job and career fairs have also had to be scheduled in place of the face-to-face events in order for students to still achieve an education. Regardless of these issues, everyone can still receive a good education. These virtual job and career events are set up to still accomplish the same essential goals as in-person events.
College Career and Job Fair Events
To sum it up, college (as well as high school) career and job fairs are an important part of the academic process to help students plan for their future. These events help them implement those plans to successfully realize the achievement of their goals. Whether in person or online, students can receive the education and knowledge through such events to succeed in their lifelong dream career.
