Job fairs and special events
About job fairs and special events
Employment and Social Services regularly hosts and participates in job fairs, career fairs, service awareness information fairs and special events.
| Job fairs |
| Job fairs provide opportunities for job seekers to network and discuss job openings and career options with employers. Employers share information about their organizations and job opportunities, and meet with job candidates. |
| Career fairs |
| Career fairs provide opportunities for residents to learn about career options. Individuals from various industries or schools share information with attendees about career and/or educational paths. |
| Service awareness information fairs |
| These fairs help residents learn about the variety of services and supports that are available in their community and across the city. |
| Special events and initiatives |
| Individual offices may host special events or be involved in initiatives to support their communities or meet a specific local hiring need. |
Staff at each office also hold ongoing workshops and information sessions on various topics at their Employment Centres.
Tips for attending a job fair
Job fairs provide networking opportunities and give job seekers access to employers who are looking for people to hire. When attending a job fair, it is best to come prepared.
The following tips can help with job fair success:
- Know the companies that will be attending the fair and research the ones that interest you.
- Bring a number of updated resumes (25 or more if it is a large event).
- Prior to the job fair, prepare to be interviewed on the spot. Job fair interviews are often fairly brief, so be able to summarize your skills and abilities in a few minutes or less.
- Prepare to fill out and hand in job applications at the fair.
- Dress appropriately for the job for which you are applying. Be neat and tidy in appearance.
- When you arrive at the job fair, decide which employers are a priority for you and visit those booths first.
- Show initiative. Be confident and shake hands with potential employers.
- Network with other participants. You may hear about opportunities of which you were not aware.
- Be sure to follow-up after the job fair with a phone call or e-mail to the company representatives you met with.
Job fair and event successes
"I learned about the job fair from my Social Services caseworker and from flyers posted in the community. At the fair, I was
invited by Costco to fill out an application form, to which I
attached my resume. They called me a few days later to set
up a job interview. I was offered a job in a company that not
only has good benefits but also opportunities to move up."
- Rosa, job fair attendee
Employer comments…
“Generally when we attend a career fair, if we leave with one potential candidate, it is considered a successful event.
We left with 16 potential candidates and hired four. Your results speak for themselves!”
“I want to thank you for inviting us to the job fair. It was well-organised [and] we received a total of 121 resumes … [The] majority [of those candidates] are hireable. The staff were very helpful as well.”
Attendee comments…
“Thank you for this job fair … It was well worth attending and well organized.”
“Good form of networking.”
“This is very beneficial for newcomers to Canada …”
Employers and organizations: how to get involved
Employers or agency staff who are interested in getting involved with a Employment and Social Services job fair or special event are invited to contact the Community and Labour Market Manager at an Employment and Social Services office.
Employers can also read about other ways that Employment and Social Services can help with hiring.
Upcoming job fairs and special events
For information about community job fairs and events, go to an Employment Centre.
