European Job Day 1-10-2011

With the annual event for wanna-be Brussels employees in sight I decided to list few reasons why NOT to attend the European Job Day:

1. Job fairs simply don't work. I know that you have a friend, who has a friend, who managed to find a job at such fair. I have a friend too. But believe me, the general rule is that job fairs are the place to be for employers, not so much for job seekers.
2. European Job Days 2011 will offer you the chance to meet the same employers that the EU Job Days 2010 did. A quick look at the website reveals the (OMG) shocking fact that this year's selection is an exact match of last year's. My feeling tells me these companies offer the same positions. Let's hope for the sake of the thousands of people attending that these vacancies are different if existing at all.
3.  It's crowded so if you're up for some pushing or squashing, be my guest. Even if you're able to survive the crowd and you are ready to sacrifice that nice pair of shoes, you need to keep in mind that your attendance will most certainly be unnoticed. There are hundreds of people passing by each stand. HR people are exhausted and pay absolutely no attention to who you are or what you want. It's almost impossible to stand out in that crowd (unless you are naked or something). Moreover, what's the point in queuing for two hours when sending off your CV is 3 mouse-clicks away. 
4. There is only a limited number of actual employers. Most of the stands are occupied by recruitment agencies. Visiting their office could prove much more useful then annoying them on such a busy event. 
5. Just to enter the building you need to bring at least ten copies of your CV. Hmm, ever heard of "Think about the environment" EU policy? Guess not.
6. Last but not least -  it's on a Saturday and I don't know about you, but I can think of at least ten other things to do which are funnier than applying for a job :) 

So unless you have an interview scheduled for that day or you're curious to take a tour in the Berlaymont building, my advice is to skip this "recruitment" event and enjoy your weekend!