Networking is the Name of the Game at Job Fair

On Wednesday, the Doubletree Guests Suites Hotel in Plymouth Meeting will host a three-hour event designed to connect job seekers with companies looking for potential employees.

While that direct, face-to-face contact is important, it isn't the only way to find employment success, according to Jeff Naugle, a managing partner with the Catalyst Career Group, the organization putting on Wednesday’s event.

"Meeting employers is one part of how people can get a job, but the idea is to open jobseeker's minds to all the possibilities that exist in a job fair."

The key, according to Naugle, is networking.

"Networking is the number one way to get a job in today's market," he said. "At our fairs, we suggest that waiting in line to see a company isn't a negative, it's an opportunity to expand your network. We've had candidates find jobs from meeting other candidates at our fairs. Almost everyone has information they could share that might help someone else."

The idea that job leads can come from all kinds of sources is not one that stops with job seekers, Naugle said. Recruiters and companies can also lead to unexpected, indirect success in finding a job.

"These fairs are all about managers and recruiters discovering people as a talent," he said. "Even if a person isn't a talent for a particular company, that person might have friends who could someone like that."

Wednesday's fair will feature nine companies, including well-known national brands like Sears and Rite Aid. While that may not seem like a lot of potential employers, Naugle says it is in line with the Catalyst Career Group's idea as networking as a major means to employment.

"The focus is less on the number of companies as it is on teaching people," he said. "Job fairs create this great format to get past just taking in black and white resumes and meet the personality behind the résumé, because that's what businesses really want."

Besides giving businesses a chance to get beyond resumes, it allows those seeking employment a feeling of control that sending a resume doesn't always provide.

"From a job seeker's perspective, this allows them to get face-to-face with a decision maker and allow them to sell who they are," Naugle said. "A lot of job seekers get frustrated: they apply for a job they think they are perfect for and they never hear back, like their resume falls into a black hole. I can be hard to get to someone, and these fairs allows that."

will take place at the Doubletree Guest Suites Hotel on Wednesday, June 8; from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Interested parties can preregister for the event at http://catalystcareergroup.com/