Since the launch of Skip The Line from Career Fair Plus this past fall, several colleges and universities have taken advantage of the new, convenient feature. They say it's saving time, easing nerves, and improving the career fair experience overall.
What is Skip The Line?
Designed to maximize time and efficiency, Skip The Line allows students to schedule appointments with employers at career fairs. These appointments are picked based on time slots created by the employer before the fair. Upon booking a time slot with an employer, students have the option to upload a resume and attach their student profile.
At the career fair, there are two sections distinguished for those with Skip The Line appointments, and those who do not. Without an appointment, students have been left waiting up to an hour or more to speak with an employer. By booking a time with an employer, students are able to speak with employers right away. As a plus, those employers have a chance for familiarity with a student’s specific experience or education, after reviewing the attached resume and profile.
Satisfied Students
At the conclusion of career fairs at institutions across the nation, students were asked to take a survey and leave some feedback about their experience with Skip The Line - here’s what they had to say:
“Wanted other employers to have the same,” “want to see it for every employer”, and other similar statements were the most common feedback comments left. Students who used Skip The Line for a specific employer at a career fair wished that other employers at the fair had utilized Skip The Line, too.
As mentioned before, Skip The Line allows employers to learn more about students before meeting them - this can be a two-way street. One career fair attendee wrote, “I looked up the employer ahead of time and brought up common interests during the conversation.” This leg-up is beneficial to both parties.
When asked about their favorite part of Skip The Line, most students responded with, “predictable schedule.” Being able to plan their time at the career fair lowers anxiety and increases the chance of future employment. Students also answered, “no waiting in line” and “the employer having your resume ahead of time.” Both of these answers save time and maximize efficiency for students and employers.
Excited Employers
Recruiters from Embraer, an executive jet manufacturer, used Skip The Line at a recent career fair. One of these recruiters had nothing but great things to say about it:
“Skip the line doesn't just save time, it enhances the quality of conversations. Before even shaking hands, I already knew their major, graduation date, work authorization, and much more. Having the resume in front of me prior to meeting with students allowed me to have questions prepared ahead of time. If I had a choice to use the Skip the Line feature at all of the career fairs I attend, I wouldn't hesitate to sign up for it every time. The conversations I had with students weren't rushed like they are when you have a long line of students waiting for their chance to make a first impression.”
He also had this to say regarding how it affected his work after the fair was over:
“After the career fair was over, instead of sorting through an overwhelming stack of resumes I had a clean, organized list to choose from. The feature of the app allowing you to rate students on a scale from 1-5 really helped me with deciding which students I wanted to follow up with the next day. During my conversations with students, I made a note of which manager I'd like to send their resume to. Instead of having to search for it and scan it from a stack of resumes, I was able to forward over a clean, electronic copy to be reviewed immediately.”
The Embraer recruiter believes, “This app is going to revolutionize the way career fairs are seen by students and employers alike. Instead of feeling stressed or rushed, students will finally have a chance to have engaging, meaningful time with the employers they want to work for most."
Of course, students and recruiters are not the only ones excited about Skip The Line. Career services professionals see how this powerful new technology is changing the landscape of college career fairs. So, what are you waiting for? Unleash the power of Skip The Line today.
