Job hunting 101: Job banks and fairs
By: Kyle Quilatan
Published on: December 13th, 2024
Knowing where to look for a job can be difficult, especially with all the competition in recent years. Fortunately, there are many tools in place with the specific purpose of helping individuals with job hunting, such as job banks and job fairs. Read further ahead to learn more about these resources and their uses and benefits.
Job banks
A job bank is exactly what the name suggests: a large online pool of job listings. Employers can post about their open positions, and anyone can apply. Users can easily see all of the details on any given position to quickly determine if the job is something they might be interested in. Some popular job banks in Canada include the Government of Canada Job Bank, the Canada Job Bank, and Indeed. These tools are free to use and are an easy way to quickly find jobs that suit an individual’s needs.
One of the benefits of job banks is their convenience. There is no need to walk around from office to office handing out resumes. Job banks allow users to apply for jobs from the convenience of their own homes. The process of applying is usually very quick and easy. Some job banks, like Indeed, allow users to create profiles with basic information about themselves. This allows users to share their qualifications and contact details with prospective employers without having to repeat this information across every individual application. From there, new applications often only require users to provide a resume and cover letter.
However, the convenience of these job banks also means countless other users are accessing them. This increases the competition for the positions posted on these websites. As a result, many companies do not have time to read each application and use a different software to scan through them quickly. Ensuring your application stands out by personalizing your resume and cover letter to the specific position you are applying for is essential. Make sure to use keywords found in job listings in your resume and cover letter to show employers that you have the qualifications they are looking for.
Job fairs
Job fairs are events where several company representatives and other professionals gather to share information about their organizations. Here, job seekers can meet professionals and market themselves as potential candidates for any open positions.
While these events are often held in person at schools, community centres, and other public areas, virtual job fairs are also an option. Jobs Canada Fair, Career Fair Canada, and Canada Job Expo are some organizations that hold these events in Canada throughout the year.
These events allow job seekers to personally network with employers, allowing them to make personal connections that would not be possible through reading a resume. Marketing yourself at these events is beneficial as employers are more likely to remember you after a brief interaction.
Although professionals will often have presentations ready to share at job fairs, it is important to do some extra research on any companies you are interested in beforehand.
This gives job seekers the chance to prepare questions that could show their interest to employers and set them apart from other candidates. It also means that job seekers will not have to speak to every employer present at the event. They can research ahead of time, see which companies they are interested in, and then explore other options if they still have time.
Job banks and fairs can be useful tools to help job seekers get their foot in the door. Several options are available for both of these resources, so make the most out of them to help make the job-hunting process a bit easier.