The Interview That'll Bag A Job!

As we prepare for the upcoming Job Fairs in Greensboro and Charlotte we were searching for tips we can share with job seekers. We came across this great article, "The Interview That'll Bag A Job!" in the online edition of The Wall Street Journal.

The article shares several great tips from recruiters on what you should and shouldn't do on your job interview. Tips like "Don't appear desperate", to "show you've done your homework on the company" are all useful tips to remember when you land that interview.

We suggest thay if you do have an interview scheduled, read the article for some last minute tips.

And don't forget that a great way to get an interview is to attend one of our Job Fairs. You can find out more about our upcoming events and pre-register and upload your resume at http://www.employmentguide.com/browse_jobfairs.html . We're expecting 15 to 20 companies, like AT&T/ Yellowpages.com, Bojangles, Terminix, NASCAR Tech, Nouveau Riche, Vanderbilt Mortgage and many others.

So if you're looking for a new career opportunity, be sure to attend the job fair, do your homework, ace the interview, and land that great new job.

What to Expect at a Job Fair?

Fox8 News in the Triad did a report this morning on what to expect at the job fair today at Quality Inn & Suites in Greenboro.




We'll be around from 9am and 1pm if you're in the Greensboro area so stop by and talk to our recruiters.

Are Job Fairs Worth Attending?

Last week's job fair had a phenominal turn out. Unfortunatly there were more job seekers than jobs available, a sign of the times. For more than 300 job seekers there was good news, they were hired on the spot or called back for more formal interviews, but there were over 1,700 job seekers at our Tuesday event, which means many others were not so lucky.

It may seem like the odds of obtaining a job at a job fair are pretty slim, but actually the ratio of jobs to job seekers was 1 available job for every 6 job seekers. That's actually not too bad. If you think about how many people apply to one job on job boards, the ratio then becomes more like 1 job for about 50-100 resumes. With the job fair, at least you are able to speak directly with an employer and present yourself in a way that may lead to an interview. Being able to approach a recruiter with your success stories and add a personal touch are so invaluable.

In this sense, job fairs are a great asset to your job search and can provide an excellent opportunity to find employment. It's so important to be proactive in your job search, job fairs are a great way to do that.

If you're in the Greensboro area, please stop by our job fair tomorrow, Feb. 24, 2009 from 9-1. Be sure to check out tips from the last Greensboro Job Fair!

If you're in Raleigh, we also have a job fair coming up on March 3, 2009 as well. You can also check out the News & Observer's list of other upcoming job fairs as well in the area.


Can't make it? There are other ways to stay proactive and get connected to people who can help. One way that EmploymentGuide.com offers is through Job Alerts. Click on the Job Alert Icon and enter your email, zip code and industry. We'll email you jobs as their posted online. This is a great way to stay notified of new jobs as their posted on our site in the industry you're looking for.

Job Fair Today Gets A Lot of Traffic -- Still One More Day, Thursday!

Photo copyright Davie Hinshaw/Charlotte Observer

Today it was apparent that there certainly is a need for jobs in the Queen City. Our Charlotte Employment Guide job fair attracted approximately 1,700 people. If you were unable to make it today, we still have added a second day to meet with employers. You can check out that information here or by clicking on the Charlotte Job Fair banner above.

The second day of our event will take place this Thursday, February 19th from 9:00am - 1:00pm at the Hilton Garden Inn on Statesville Rd. I-77 exit 18 off of Harris Blvd.

Here's media coverage that we received for the event today:
Charlotte Observer: Charlotte Job Fair attracts huge lines, or view the Photo Gallery
WBTV: Charlotte Job Fair today
WCNC: Line wraps around building for job fair (Video)
WSOC TV: Unemployed Seeks Scarce Jobs in Charlotte Job Fairs (Video)

Employers who are hiring, we've still got some last minute space available so please feel free to contact us if you'd like to attend Thursday. And if you're a job seeker we suggest that you:

• Come prepared and bring plenty of resumes
• Show up early so that you are sure to make it in to see the recruiters
• And check out more job fair information and advice on our blog
• Prepare a 30-second pitch for recruiters

If for some reason you cannot attend, or would like to send your resume, you can email it to us. Just put Charlotte in the Subject line. We'll give your resume to every employer that attended.

Update 2/18/09: Here are additional helpful news articles.

• WCNC: Recruiter says Dress to Impress at Job Fairs
• DigiTriad: Making Yourself Standout at a Job Fair

Good News For A Change

We have what we think is good news in the Charlotte area and want to share it with everyone......More Recruiters Are Attending Our Upcoming Job Fair Than We Anticipated!

That's right, we initially expected 15 to 20 recruiters would participate in our February 17th Job Fair at the Hyatt Place Hotel on Arrowood Rd, but we have sold out the venue and have ADDED ANOTHER JOB FAIR on Thursday, February 19th at the Hilton Garden Inn at the intersection of Statesville Rd and Harris Blvd, Just off of I-77 exit 18.

Job Seekers in both South and North Charlotte now have the opportunity to meet with companies that are actually recruiting. These events are part of the National "Putting Americans Back To Work" Job Fair series. The Employment Guide and employmentguide.com are hosting over 200 General and Healthcare Job Fairs in 2009 in the effort to put Americans back to work.

For more information on the upcoming job fairs in Charlotte click here.

Greensboro featured on AARP's Inside E Street TV

At our Greensboro Job Fair a few weeks ago, the Inside E Street Team filmed a story about the economy and job situation, particularly how it interests the mature worker demographic. They included parts of an interview from our Manager, Lyle Stone who talks about job loss and the availability of Jobs, particularly in the Greensboro area. Click the image below to watch the video!

Click to play

If you're a member of AARP, or a part of the "seasoned" worker generation, you should check out our Wiser Worker Blog . We publish articles that are of particular interest to the Boomers and mature workers.

Thanks to the Inside E Street team for featuring us in their program, we are glad to help connect job seekers in Greensboro and all of North Carolina with employers in their area, especially in tough times like these. We're doing our part to help put America back to work.

If you live in the Charlotte area, our next job fair is scheduled for next February. Check it out here.

Tips From The Greensboro Job Fair

The Employment Guide, http://www.employmentguide.com/ and http://www.wiserworker.com/ hosted the Greensboro Job Fair on Tuesday, November 25th at the Embassy Suites in Greensboro. Twenty-five companies were recruiting and over 1,200 job seekers attended; many of them walked away with a new job or an interview.

We had the chance to talk with recruiters from Harris Teeter and Carolina Driving Institute about what they were looking for at the job fair and any tips they might have for job seekers. We know you will find this information valuable.

Watch Tips from the Greensboro Job Fair. now:




Watch More tips from the Greensboro Job Fair. now:

Greensboro Job Fair Live

Ever wondered what a job fair was like? On Tuesday, November 25 you can watch The Employment Guide's Greensboro Job Fair live on the web.

We will be streaming our job fair from 10am until 2pm using the ustream.tv service. Simply click here to link to the stream.

There are 25 companies signed up to attend and we expect this to be one of our largest events of the year. So if you can't make it, be sure to watch all of the action.

WCNC: Where to Apply for Work in Charlotte

WCNC reports on where to find available jobs.

A slumping economy and you need a job. Experts say in a job market, there are
fields that will be hiring. You just have to be searching in the right way.

Watch the video here.

Watch Charlotte Job Fair Live

Looking for a job and need tips on attending a job fair? Watch the Charlotte Job Fair live!

We'll stream the Job Fair live as it happens over the Internet on Tuesday, November 4th from 9 am until 1 pm. Watch as job seekers talk with companies that are actually hiring in the Charlotte area; plus, if you tune in early you may even get a few tips from several of the recruiters.

To watch the job fair live click here!

If you plan to attend in person, click here for updated information about the event.

Watch the Columbia SC Job Fair Live

Ever wondered what a job fair was like? Now you can watch our Columbia, SC Job Fair live as it happens, Tuesday, October 21st, 10 am - 1:30 pm ET. Click HERE to watch live on the day of the event or a recorded version at other times.

Raleigh Job Fair Live

Ever wondered what a job fair was like? Now you can watch our Raleigh Job Fair live as it happens, Thursday, October 16th, 10 am - 1 pm ET. Click HERE to watch live on the day of the event or a recorded version at other times.

Winston Salem, NC Job Fair - Live on October 1!

We're always striving to bring you relevant information about employment in the Carolinas and our newest feature is streaming video of our Job Fair events. We will stream our first job fair next Wednesday, October 1, from 10am until 2pm.

If you are unable to attend the job fair but want to see what our events are all about, simply bookmark this post and check back during the job fair to watch all of the action. We may even surprise you with tips from some of the recruiters.

We hope you can attend the Job Fair in person, but if you can't, we'll cover it for you. (The live event will appear in the box below. If it's between 10 and 2 on October 1, 2008, please hit the reload button in your browser to start viewing the live stream.)

Video clips at Ustream

At the Job Fair - Ask Questions!

With the Charlotte Job Fair fast approaching this week, I thought we'd talk about what to do if a recruiter asks you to apply online. So great, you got yourself up out of bed (or out of work) to trek down to this career fair and all you have to do is apply online?

Yes, it can be annoying but your time is not wasted. Use the time you have taken to talk to the recruiter. This person might be the one to make the decision on hiring you. Ask them questions about the job and the hiring process -- What kind of person are they looking for? How long does it take to fill the position? Is there any testing required? How many interviews should you expect?

You might even get some valuable feedback on your resume and get a better idea of your chances of being considered for the job.

Also keep in mind that at The Employment Guide Job Fair, we'll have computers for you to apply right at the career fair if an employer would prefer you submit an application through their website.

If you need more advice, check out this video of advice straight from the recruiters.
So if you're in the Charlotte area, click here for more details on the job fair September 11 from 9:00am - 1:00pm

See you there!

- Rosie Reilman

North Carolina Job Fairs

You may have noticed that our Charlotte Job Spot is now the NC Jobs Spot. We've decided to add all our cities into one blog so you can access everything from one place in North Carolina. So with that, just wanted to fill you in on upcoming Job Fairs in North Carolina.

Raleigh Job Fair
Thursday, August 7th, 2008
9:00am - 1pm
at the North Raleigh Hilton

3415 Wake Forest Rd
Raleigh, NC 27609
More information

Greensboro Job Fair
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
10am - 2pm
at the Embassy Suites

204 Centre Port Dr.
Greensboro, NC 27409

More information

Charlotte Job Fair
Thursday, September 11, 2008
9:30am - 1pm
at the Sheraton Hotel

3315 Scott Futrell Dr.
Charlotte, NC 28208

More information

All of our job fairs have companies from all industries and recruiting for all types of jobs. Please visit the more information links for more information and a list of companies attending at each.

If you are unable to attend, but would like to participate, or would like to Pre-register by sending your resume to mailto:ncjobs@employmentguide.com?subject=CHARLOTTE and put your City, your Industry or Position desired in the Subject Line we'll include your resume on a CD database given to all recruiters attending this event. For more tips on submitting your resume, click here.

Our events are free to attend but we do expect professional dress and you should bring plenty of resumes. For more job fair tips, click here. If you're not in North Carolina, we have job fairs going on around the country so be sure to find an event that is going on in your area.

Am I Going to Be Laid Off?

These things are really hard to predict. Supposedly we're in recession and this may mean more lay offs, more cut backs on budgets and less spending. So how do you know that you're not going to be the one being cut?

George's Employment Blawg has a post Lay-Offs - Are You Next? (hat tip) that gives some good advice on what to look for to help predict how secure your job is.

So what to look for per George?

• Listen to the company. If they say they’re having financial challenges, believe it!
• Look at raises and bonuses. Are they the same as last year? Are they gone? Are they token “don’t worry” raises and bonuses?
• Watch the ebb and flow of business. If the company runs on contracts, and it lost one or didn’t get the numbers it needed, be wary. Also, if it recently made an acquisition that put it beyond its means, this could spell trouble.
• Beware outsourcing. If the company is now outsourcing a lot of things it used to handle internally (areas like accounting, HR, IT, tend to be hit first), using temp agencies instead of hiring full-time employees, or is considering or has already started sending jobs to India or China, this means it’s having trouble affording its workforce –- which can be a serious sign of trouble.

So then once you determine that your company might be in danger of making lay offs - how do you know you're not personally in danger?

• Are you openly unhappy? Have you been outspoken against company policies or openly complaining?
• Are you expensive? Have you cost the company money or created an inconvenience?
• Are you highly paid?
• Are you getting along with your boss?
• Are you in a bad-luck department? Are you working in a department that was unprofitable or troublesome over the last year for whatever reason?

Read the full article here for more indepth descriptions on the points above.

In somewhat related news, Charlotte's WSOC TV 9 came to our Job Fair last week to interview some of our job seekers about the recession and economic downturn and how it's effected their job search as well. I think what's helpful here is maybe one industry is suffering more than another but some are thriving.

Read the text version or watch the video: 9 Investigates: Some Niches Thriving In Economic Downturn, Jobs Remain Plentiful.

-Rosie Reilman

Healthcare Jobs in North Carolina

The Employment Guide, employmentguide.com and healthcareerweb.com have joined forces to host the first Carolinas Healthcare Virtual Job Fair.





Simply visit any of the Carolina home pages of employmentguide.com during the week of May 19th through May 25th and click on the Virtual Job Fair Banner. Presto.....you can view hundreds of healthcare jobs in the Carolinas, and you can even apply online. Find a Job On Your Schedule!



A New Career With A Top Healthcare Provider in North or South Carolina is Only A Click Away!
Access The Job Fair Anytime Between Monday May, 19th and Sunday May, 25th.

For More Information, watch our video by clicking on the box below.

Charlotte Job Fair - April 23, 2008

Don't forget to join us April, 23rd, 2008, from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm at the Sheraton Hotel on Scott Futrell and talk face-to-face with employers hiring in the Charlotte area! Get more information on how to attend, directions and what jobs employers are looking to fill by clicking here.

Charlotte Job Fair ~ Testimonials

We're getting such great feedback from our job fair from this week that I wanted to share! This event was well attended by job seekers and recruiters alike! We also had a laptop station where we allowed people to search and apply for jobs on EmploymentGuide.com, sign up for Job Alerts and apply online to the companies in attendance right there.

This is from a company recruiting for fast food/restaurant candidates:

The job fair was EXCELLENT. I had over 75 applicants and are actually making an offer to 25. We have not had time to review and schedule interviews for the rest. Thank you so much.

And from a staffing agency that was looking for various positions:

I was VERY happy. I got about 30 resumes for Gastonia (Two of which we have put to work), 40 for University, 20 for Uptown, One for Rock Hill and one for Monroe. Most of them seem like good prospects. I thought you did an outstanding job AND lunch was great.

So if you weren't a company that participated in our event, then you missed out on a great set of candidates. Don't worry about it though, we've got plenty of events in Charlotte throughout the year. Our next job fair in Charlotte is in April and we have job fair events outside of the Charlotte area in just about every metro area in the U.S. Send us an email if you're interested in participating in any of our events.

- Rosie Reilman

Charlotte Upcoming Events

Charlotte Jobs Events in 2008 In case you haven't noticed, we're having a job fair next week. We've gotten a lot of resumes of folks wanting to pre-register or who are unable to attend. You can submit your resume up until Monday, February 18th. But don't worry if you happen to miss us this time, we've got a handful of other job fairs planned in the Charlotte area plus various events where you can get the inside scoop on jobs in the Queen City. Here's a list of our upcoming events.

Tip: Add our Google Calendar and automatically get reminders about these events.

February 19th: Employment Guide Diversity Job Fair
February 28th: Metrolina Career Expo
March 5th: CPCC Job Fair
March 19th: York Tech Job Fair

Stop by our booth at any of these events and say hello!

Until then, happy hunting!
-Rosie Reilman