GTI: Open Lobbying At Career Fairs

Hundreds of new graduates have found their dream jobs here. How about you?

Job-hunting can sometimes feel like a guessing game – which is probably why hopeful applicants might say “I am going to try my luck” when submitting a resume.

Maybe if we knew what goes on in a recruiter’s head, we would not need to kiss the dice (or as the case may be, blow a kiss at the computer screen) for good luck.

It is worth bearing in mind that everyone in this market has a need – the recruiter or employer who hopes to snag the best talent, or the jobseeker who submits a resume for what he or she thinks is a dream position.

Therefore, by carefully evaluating the skills and qualifications required, understanding each job profile and its expectations, and being honest about culture and work attitudes, stakeholders on both sides of the room (or paper) can hopefully meet in the middle and find common ground to stand on.

Arguably, the best place to do this is at a career fair.

Stomping grounds

Career fairs are a great place for you to search for, meet and assess potential employers.

Apart from being consumer-centric, career fairs are also a great way for jobseekers to get a clearer idea of what recruiters are looking for.

Being physically present enables a job candidate to display the personal attributes that prove he/she can interact effectively – which are the soft skills needed – while enabling the prospective employer to advocate the big performance objectives for the position.

The World Bank report (2014) cites that 62% of firms in Malaysia complained of difficulty in finding workers with the right skills even though job vacancies were available. Could it be that job searches needed to be fine-tuned?

Employers are debating if soft skills can ever be represented on paper.

Career fairs are also a good opportunity to meet and speak with human resources directors or top recruiters from leading companies.

Interested applicants can save time by going through all the stages of a job search process in one day – submitting a resume, doing an interview, and getting an offer.

Cutting through the red tape

In February, 60% of Malaysia’s 100 Leading Graduate Employers exhibited at the Mega Careers & Study Fair 2015 in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), meeting thousands of young people who wanted a job but had yet to secure one through online job boards.

We are once again coming to that time of the year when buttresses are falling – waves of young jobseekers are being released into the market, many having just finished their finals and about to graduate, hungry to land their dream jobs. The second instalment of the Mega Careers & Study Fair will take place on Aug 22–23, 2015. Who knows what chances will be available to jobseekers this time?

Whatever is out there, at least you know job-hunting doesn’t have to be a shell game anymore.