In today’s tough job market, people are trying everything from online applications to career fairs to land a job.
While these events promise to open doors to new opportunities, they don’t always match the hopeful expectations they create.
Job fairs are a scam
And lately, people are talking about the ups and downs of these events, sharing their experiences and revealing the frustrations that can come with them.
One recent incident that gained attention involved a video circulating on social media, featuring a podcast discussion on the prevalence of scams within career fairs.
The conversation highlighted instances where job seekers, particularly fresh graduates, found themselves facing unexpected hurdles.
Fresh grads with 2-3 years of experiences?
Promising opportunities often came with unrealistic requirements, such as demanding two to three years of prior experience for entry-level positions intended for new graduates.
This mismatch between advertised positions and actual expectations left many attendees feeling disillusioned and their time wasted.
An individual on TikTok page, @rehatsantaistudio who shared their experience from a career fair, emphasised the frustration felt by many:
When I attended job fairs, they were seeking fresh graduates. However, the qualifications required for recruitment or interviews demanded 2-3 years of experience.
Imagine, fresh graduates without experience or people who have been jobless, hoping for an opportunity to find work. When they attend, it feels like a waste of time, which is really unfortunate.”
Many attendees felt the same way, highlighting a bigger problem in how the job market works. Even though employers say they want new graduates, they often prefer candidates with experience already.
This gap not only disappoints job seekers but also makes career fairs less effective for real hiring opportunities.
‘They just want to collect our data’
Participants’ comments emphasized these worries even more. Many shared similar disappointments, describing career fairs as events that collect data rather than sincerely helping job seekers find the right opportunities.
One person said, “Job fairs these days feel like scams. We hope to meet hiring managers or recruiters, but often it’s just HR or PR interns at the booths telling us to apply online.”
Another person mentioned, “Job fairs seem more about gathering people’s data. They might sell that info later, and you end up getting lots of spam calls.”
And another person chimed in, “They want experienced workers but only offer salaries suited for fresh graduates.”
Watch the clip here:
