Job Fair Hints

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I recently co-hosted a booth for my employer at a large nursing and healthcare worker job fair. I wanted to share some observations:

  1. Many of the attendees did not have a resume with them.
  2. Many of the attendees were not dressed in proper business attire.
  3. Many of the attendees did not know how to approach prospective employers in a professional manner.
  4. There are too many unemployed nurses, social workers, therapist etc in the NYC area. The unemployed are not just new grads but those with experience and credentials. To see so many people representing so many disciplines makes me wonder what is really going on? Are we producing too many health care workers or are the facilities downsizing/eliminating jobs too rapidly?

While I enjoyed hosting a booth and spoke with many interesting people, I have to comment about the lack of professional decorum among some attendees. I am old school so hear me out. If you are going to a job fair shouldn't you be dressed in your "Sunday finest" and have numerous copies of your resume to hand out to the representatives and HR recruiters? First impressions do count.

What saddened me about the day was to see so many unemployed nurses. NYC is very tight now. I was asked what advice I could offer and I really could not say anything new expect to volunteer, keep applying and continue to seek out opportunities. The job market for experienced nurses is tight so the new grads really have a hard road ahead of them.

I have been in nursing a long time and I have seen the highs and lows but the lack of opportunity out there for the new grads is something to worry about. A nurse out of school for more than two or three years who has not worked is in a very difficult place. With so many new grads, employers will take the latest grads from from school and clinical training if jobs should open up. I do wonder what will happen when it gets out that nursing is over subscribed especially in NYC.

To those who are looking for work, good luck. You are in my prayers.

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People lack business skills. You should dress professional have resume copies scheduling options child care needs set up and know how to approach businesses at job fairs. Teens now days think you can walk into fast food and work the same hour. Not true anymore. Even low wage jobs require professionalism

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

4. There are too many unemployed nurses, social workers, therapist etc in the NYC area. The unemployed are not just new grads but those with experience and credentials. To see so many people representing so many disciplines makes me wonder what is really going on? Are we producing too many health care workers or are the facilities downsizing/eliminating jobs too rapidly?

Probably a lot of both.

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

Can I ask you, did some of them dress up and did some of them bring resumes to the job fair to hand out?

I think this is an excellent post which will help unemployed RN's, and help them understand that it is still important to make a good impression! Even though in 2013 casual is normal, in some situations it still matters.

I interviewed a young lady last week who was dressed very casually, hair all over the place and she was wearing flip flops!

I liked her, she was a good candidate but her casual approach to the interview had me questioning whether her attitude towards certain aspects of care would be as casual.

Yes I am old school, but it is still the old school who are employing the nurses of the future, with so many choices out there, you need to make sure you stand out for all the right reasons.

With that said, I will still give the girl a chance but if the next candidate comes along and has equal assets would I chose the smart one who takes time with her appearance over the casual candidate because we already have issues with carless workers, with poor infection control skills.

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Interesting inputs. Yes, I agree with you and BTW, I am a new nurse with one year on psych only and I am now looking for a job in medsurg. What is your opinion about it? Do you think I have a chance? I floated to all units, from children to geriatrics. Also worked with Detox and Rehab patients. I did trained 3 new nurses. I am updating my resume and wonder whats the best way to word it. THankss so much for the reply.

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Add the floating to your resume. Be truthful and professional

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" Are we producing too many health care workers or are the facilities downsizing/eliminating jobs too rapidly?"

Probably both factors are at play here.

When you go to a job fair you must be dressed nicely and have your resume ready and with you. Show a certain amount of enthusiasm for a job - yes you might be weary and beaten-down somewhat from your job search, but employers don't hire people with that mindset.

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We don't have job fairs here in New Zealand but I would definitely ask around to see what is appropriate before attending one.

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Maybe, their lack of basic job search knowledge (appearance and being prepared with a resume) is why they are unemployed. Employers are looking for the best! Sounds like some of these folks were at the bottom of the barrel.

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This may be an absurd question but where can I find job fairs in my area?

I have googled it, and only a few results have come up.

I have a friend in a RN-> BSN Program and her instructor(s) have been sending them a ton of information regarding different dinners, job fairs, etc.

My RN program is not so helpful in that department....

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This may be an absurd question but where can I find job fairs in my area?

I have googled it, and only a few results have come up.

I have a friend in a RN-> BSN Program and her instructor(s) have been sending them a ton of information regarding different dinners, job fairs, etc.

My RN program is not so helpful in that department....

A lot of it depends on where you live. Where I live, the local Chamber of Commerce, and also the businesses themselves together, helps advertise job fairs, and ads are run in the paper, on TV, Internet, and billboards. Billboard advertising is big where I live and I see job fairs advertised that way a lot. It depends on what sort of C of C and business community you have in your area and how organized and active they are.

Schools BTW are notorious for not keeping up with this stuff. I've even attended a state university in the early and mid 00's where instructors came right out and said "It's not our job to point you toward jobs - that's your problem"

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There is no shortage of nurses, especially here in Florida. I think the for profit nursing schools keep pushing this line just to make money. Florida pays about 21-25/hr for new nurses while many other states are far more. I think there are just too many of us out there, no employer has to pay more to get a body to fill the slot. Can you tell I'm a previous econ major? If there really was a shortage - meaning more slots than people to fill them - it would force the compensation to rise to get the best candidates, but it isn't happening, at least not here.

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