ATLANTA — Before you queue up for the next all-day job fair, consider this: Don't bother.
A new survey of human resources executives — the guys responsible for hiring and firing people — rated the effectiveness of different kinds of job-hunting methods. Nearly half of those surveyed said job fairs were the least effective.
"Job fairs are particularly ineffective in recessions. They are heavily attended by job seekers and lightly attended by employers," said John Challenger, chief executive of Challenger Gray & Christmas, the Chicago-area outplacement firm that did the survey.
"Many of the employers that do attend are seeking very low-level workers, volunteers or unpaid sales representatives and franchisees who would have to be prodigious sellers to make a living wage," he said.
Challenger Gray has tracked workplace and career trends for more than 20 years.
The best way to find a job? Good old-fashioned face-to-face networking.
The second most effective method, the experts said, is a new twist on networking. Social and professional online networking sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter were seen as very helpful.
While the Internet has the potential to be useful for job seekers, Challenger cautions people not to rely on it too much.
"It is important to remember that the job search is a multifaceted process," Challenger said. "Those who rely on just one tool, even if it is networking, will take longer to find a position. The problem with the ease and accessibility of the Internet is that many job seekers make it their primary job search tool."
Some hiring managers complain about having to wade through a lot of irrelevant resumes.
For every qualified candidate whose resume is picked up on the Internet, there are 10 to 20 "who do not even come close to being a good fit," Challenger said.
Tammy Joyner writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. E-mail: tjoyner(at)ajc.com.