Meet employers face-to-face at Tampa Bay Area job fairs

With digital job applications the rage, many jobseekers submit their resumes or applications online and wait, in hope of a reply.  But job fairs offer an opportunity to meet employers face-to-face.

“Nothing beats meeting an employer face to face. In this day and age almost all job search is done online,” asserts Mark Walker, National Sales Manager for National Career Fairs, which schedules more than 300 events in 80 cities annually. “You hope somebody reads your resume and application and gives you a call.”

Its St. Petersburg Job Fair, a live hiring event, is planned from 11 a.m to 2 p.m. August 15 at Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront, 333 1st Street South.

Preparing ahead of time can help jobseekers make the most of the opportunity. By visiting the National Career Fairs website, they can view the Event Calendar and see the logos for companies signed up for the fair.

 “None of our events are industry specific,” he adds. “We are open to all employers.”

Submitting a resume online, in addition to carrying several hard copies to the fair, is a good idea. “We compile a resume database for the event,” he says. “The employers that are at the event get the resume database.”

The website also has a job board, where employers participating in events can list openings.

The most important thing a jobseeker can do is “dress for success,” he advises.

“You cannot believe the number of people ... that show up in shorts and T-shirt instead of being dressed in nice business attire,” he says.

It’s also important to realize employers are actively recruiting -- and be prepared to answer interview questions, he adds.

Below you’ll find some other job fairs scheduled in the Tampa Bay area in August.

• The Tampa Career Fair by Career Intro is slated from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. August 9 at Hilton Tampa Airport, 2225 N Lois Ave. Jobseekers can register online and submit a resume for the free event.

• A JobNewsUSA Lakeland Job Fair is slated from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. August 23 at The Lakeland Center, 701 W. Lime St. Jobseekers should be prepared for on-the-spot interviews and job offers. Online registration is available; admission and parking are free.

• Best Hire Career Fairs is holding its Tampa Job Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. August 24 at Holiday Inn Tampa Westshore Airport, 700 N. Westshore Blvd. The fair attracts employers from a variety of industries, including accounting, advertising, biotechnology, green technology, health, pharmaceutical, publishing, telecommunications and video gaming. Hiring is done on the spot. The event is free; online registration is available.