A college job fair: Should you attend?

Posted by Steve

February 9, 2010

I am a member of a local group, several of whom are in various stages of career or job transition. I recently notified them of a career fair being held at the local state university.

A couple of them promptly contacted me and politely reminding me that this event was for alumni only and there would a "check-in desk" at the door. I know their intentions were for the best: they were concerned that non-alums would get their hopes up and when they got there, would quickly get their hopes dashed as they got turned away at the check-in desk (full disclosure: I am an alumnus of this university).

I appreciate their concern. I certainly don't want to be putting anyone in an awkward position. But, I've been to many college job fairs and I've never, ever seen anyone confirm if attendees are alumni or not.

Think about it: The career fair is run by the career services office, whose employees are overworked and underpaid. Their job is to support the recruiters. In order to confirm every attendee's alumni status would require a list of graduates from every school from every campus in the state (4 campuses for this university). If the list to be anywhere comprehensive, it would have to go back 20 or 30 years. Who would have the time to compile and verify the accuracy of such a list, assuming it was complete in the first place. Everyone is scrambling to put on the job fair.

The companies are there to find good people. They don't really give a hoot if you're an alumnus or not. They just want to find qualified applicants.

So, those were my thoughts as I composed, and sent, the following email to my group:

Hi all,

I just wanted to clarify something about this post.

A couple of you have alerted me to the fact that this job fair is only for CU Alums. And that there will be a "check in" table at the entrance.

I know that.

So why did I post this knowing that many, if not most, of you are not CU alums? Because my take is, "So what? Go anyway."

I'm a former corporate recruiter who's been to many college job fairs. I've never, ever seen anyone try to confirm your status as an alumus.

The purpose of this event is for the represented companies to find qualified applicants. The university's job is to help them do that. The companies don't really give a hoot if you're an alumnus or not. They're looking for good people to hire.

I believe that, given the state of the economy, and the exceptional challenges job seekers face, you cannot leave any stone unturned. You do what you need to do to get the job. And that may mean going to a job fair at a university you haven't attended, much less graduated from. It may also mean they won't let you in.

But isn't it worth the risk, albeit a small risk, for the opportunity to get an interview and maybe even a job? So, I say go for it. I'd love to know how it goes. If you get a job out of this, then fantastic! As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about this post. Good luck!

As you can see, my attitude is, the risk is worth the possible reward. What do you think?

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