Would you go to a hiring fair if you knew thousands of people would be there?

Yup – I wouldn’t go with much hope, but I would go. What do you have to lose?

Yes.

Yes. It only takes one person to connect with one person and who knows?

Haha, no way. That better be the BEST job ever.

No, because I know I would not get the job.

@Facade why so pessimistic?

@Facade If you don’t go, you are 100% correct – however, there are 100 jobs available and 100 people will be chosen – how can you be so sure it wouldn’t be you? (assuming qualified for the sake of argument)

I am in need of a job. I would go because:
a.) What else do I have to do but look for a job,
b.) I may not get that job, but might make some contacts that may lead to another job
c.) I have plenty of resume’s to give out, so I might as well give another one out
d.) I need the interview practice

@YARNLADY Oh, I didn’t know I was qualified in the hypothetical. I change my answer to yes =)
@anartist I was assuming I was using my current qualifications in the hypothetical.

Absolutely. With every confident expectation that I would get a job. Period.

out of the thousands there, you may luck up with one or two bites. you have to be well-qualified.

I’d go. Unless it was a situation with an early show-up time, a long line, and a lottery’s chances of being hired.

Of course I’d go – there aren’t only 100 jobs available if a thousand people are coming because you may hear of jobs from people that they aren’t qualified for but you are. Besides, I am confident and would be able to sell myself well. A thousand people is nothing.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir Good point. Even if you don’t get hired for a job with that particular company, think of the leads you could get from the people who are there!

You should go. Go early. Wear a suit. Bring resumes. Study the company. Study the open positions. Get recruiters’ cards. Write them physical thank you notes. And don’t be an asshole. And make friends with the other job seekers. Because we’re all in this together.

67 GA @mirifique

Never again. If its a huge job fair and approximately 5000 people show up and out of 100 companies there interviewing only 50 are taking applications and out of the 50 companies, I can maybe apply for 10 that are closely related to what I do and out of them they are only hiring 5 permanant full time workers each, but are looking that all the exact requirements are met but I only fit one of them, then I would probably just apply on line. Those fairs usually don’t provide much time for interviews and its get in line after line just to drop of your resume. Many people stop and ask questions about jobs they aren’t even qualified for in hopes that they are just to inticing for them to let go. You spend a whole day there and maybe by the end of the day you found just one job that fits your qualification but 500 people applied that day along with you and they are putting up the same jobs in 5 other counties that month. The recruiters don’t remember you unless you have legs that go on forever and a low cut blouse. But that memory will only last till the next long leg, and busty women comes along.
Not to mention by mid morning you look like crap.
I went to two in my whole life and the impression I got was I felt like an indenture servant. I was expecting for someone to come up exam my teeth and squeeze my arms and check out my hips to see if I can bare more slaves. The first thing they all clearly do is look you up and down.
We had a job fair nearby a few months back. They held it at a huge mall that easily handles hundreds of people daily. The line circled the parking lot and at noon there were people still in line who were there by 6 am. Many came and camped out on line the night before. They eventually told people by 5 to go home and they would resume the next day. I want to say that only 500 jobs were being offered and they still had other cities to hit. Not to mention not all the jobs were local.
Your local newspaper ad, probably will give you better odds with 75% less the trouble.

@Pandora This is a single company hiring for 100 positions they have opening in their new store. At a recent hiring fair (not job fair) the company stopped taking applications after they ran out of application forms – and almost started a riot when they told the remaining 100’s of people to go away.

@YARNLADY Yeah, they can get crazy. Unless the job fair is in a small town where the competition is slim to none. I wouldn’t bother.
People often overlook looking up jobs in the local paper on line. They will usually list a bunch of local staffing agencies as well and its easier to list with them. Many won’t charge you because they charge the client. I’ve known many people go this way to later be hired permantly after a few temp jobs. You get to try out different jobs and if you make a good impression they will sometimes decide to keep you.