The Suffolk County (NY) Department of Labor held a biotech and pharma job fair back in mid-June 2022. The fair brought together more than a dozen biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies from across Long Island, companies all looking to hire for well-paying jobs. It would be interesting to know how many people actually attended the fair.
Job fairs are oftentimes hidden gems that never reach their full potential. Unfortunately, we have become so accustomed to doing things online that it never occurs to us that visiting a job fair might reap better results than posting a resume on a job board.
Online job boards are great tools, especially for the biotech and pharma industries. But there is something unique and special about meeting with recruiters face-to-face. That is what you get with a job fair.
An Opportunity to Introduce Yourself
There are multiple reasons you should not ignore biotech and pharma job fairs. At the top of the list is the opportunity for you to introduce yourself personally. A personal introduction goes a lot further than a digital resume or CV.
Making personal contact gives recruiters an opportunity to gauge your personality. It is an opportunity for both of you to size up the situation to determine whether you are a good fit for each other.
An Opportunity to Ask Questions
The Pharma Diversity job board offers an efficient and streamlined method for getting your resume into the hands of a lot of employers. It is a resource that should not be ignored. But the one downside to job boards is that they do not offer opportunities to ask questions. You do get those opportunities at job fairs.
You can ask all about a company you are thinking of applying to. You can ask about company culture, the size of the company, and even the work environment and facilities. These are all things that can help you fine-tune your job search in ways that simply are not possible online.
An Opportunity to Connect
One of the most underappreciated aspects of job fairs is the ability to use them to make industry connections. You might attend a job fair and not get any hits on a potential job. But you might also make connections with people who know about other opportunities not represented at the fair.
It is all about networking. In both biotech and pharma, knowing the right people is often the fast track to career development. So the more industry connections you can make, the better off you’ll be. If for no other reason, making connections is sufficient motivation to attend job fairs.
An Opportunity to Be More Active
Finally, searching for work online through job boards tends toward a passive attitude. There is nothing necessarily wrong with that, but the most successful job seekers are those who are more active in their searches. Job fairs give you an opportunity to do just that.
Rather than just submitting a resume online, the job fair gets you out there to actively engage with real people. You have conversations. You talk about your career goals while recruiters tell you what they can offer. It is an active back and forth that cannot be replicated online.
Take every opportunity you can to use job boards to find your next biotech or pharma job. They are fantastic tools. At the same time, do not underestimate the power of the job fair. If you ever have the chance to attend such a fare in your local area, do not pass it up. A job fair could ultimately be your ticket to the job you have always wanted.
