At the job fair when you have nothing to lose

Wednesday, 24th April 2024 was a different day. After summer weather in the first days of April, suddenly it was windy and rainy.

My new employer told me to go and sign the contract. Coincidentally, it fell on the same date as the start of Profesia Days in Bratislava.

After signing the contract, I went for lunch with some members of my old team. I couldn’t pass through Bratislava without seeing them.

With the new contract in my backpack, I had nothing to lose so I went to Stará Tržnica to see what the labor market in Bratislava has to offer. Despite the terrible weather, the place was fully packed; I was surprised. I didn’t expect so many people.

There I was surprised in different ways:

• First, let’s talk about the Activity Tracking System (ATS). There are still some companies (also big ones) that don’t use the ATS to scan CVs of the candidates but instead do it the old way, humans scan the CV’s.
• The second surprise was the presence of LIPA coaching & consulting. I didn’t know them, but their stand was interesting and different, it was not a box, maybe because they like to think out of the box. I enjoyed the time Livia Pastorekova, ACC dedicated to me. Such a lovely discussion. I told her, Alma Career Slovakia (Profesia) had to give them more space and a central position so more people could note them.
• In comparison to five years ago, when I first attended Profesia Days as a newcomer to an international labor market, my expectations were higher this time. I expected something more than just: scan the QR code, it will open our website and search for the open positions and apply. I could have done that at the commodity of my home without the need to go to Stará Tržnica.

It could be interesting to know how employees representing companies at Profesia Days or similar job fairs are prepared to engage with potential candidates. What do they know about the hiring process and concepts like the Activity Tracking System (ATS).

I brought up ATS again because I believe many companies now use it. Candidates need to put extra effort into creating CVs that meet ATS requirements.

My visit to the job fair ended with a nice talk to my former colleagues. I truly appreciate the job that all the recruiters do.

From time to time, it can happen that the person in front of you has nothing to lose and maybe is testing you; don’t let the good ones go away.

In 2019, I found myself in a similar situation—already holding a signed permanent contract ( it ended in December 2023). I remember when I finished my studies at the Università degli Studi di Firenze in Italy, there was a job fair. There were different sessions depending on the required skills and field of study. I went to the IT meeting room and heard the presentation of recruiter from During S.p.a.. I was impressed by his presentation, so I went to talk to him. I had nothing to lose. I graduated in Business Administration, and I was missing all the hard skills to work in this field. We spoke for some time, and I enjoyed every minute of it. He asked me so many questions and I told him about my passions and hobbies. The following day, he extended a job offer for me to work with Microsoft .NET Framework in Milan, with all expenses covered for six months. I had to reject his offer, but that’s a story for another day.

I was and I am thankful for this day at Profesia Job Fair and mostly for the talk I had with Livia about growth, values, leadership and diversity of talents.

I could reconfirm one more time how normal people can become exceptional leaders when they find their purpose and serve without expecting anything in exchange because we have nothing to lose.