Career management events provide effective networking, public relations and educational opportunities to propel your career. Conferences in career management not only help you stay abreast of the latest industry advancements, but allow you to exchange ideas with colleagues. Plus, events in career management give you significant name recognition among current and future business employers, prospects, partners or clients.

There are a wide range of career management job fairs, with topics ranging from recruiting and staff development to retention and attracting diversity. To get the most value from a career management event, evaluate the following:

1. Does the career management job fair provide opportunities for professionals in your specialized field?

2. What special exhibits, workshops or keynote speakers does the conference in career management offer to expand your knowledge base or increase your career aptitude?

3. How much should you pay for an event in career management?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Select career management conferences geared towards professionals in your field

Choose a career management conference that focuses on your specific industry discipline. If your focus is on campus recruiting, select a specialized college recruiting seminar rather than a general career management event. Find out if the career management conference is designed for senior executives, management, consultants or entry-level employees, and select events most appropriate to your occupation.

I recommend: The Annual BC Career Development Conference is geared towards career practitioners, service providers, job developers, sponsors, educators, coaches, special interest groups and human resource professionals. Kennedy Information's Recruiting Conference & Expo offers educational and networking opportunities to recruiting, retention and human capital management professionals, including human resource directors, personnel directors, talent acquisition professionals, corporate recruiters and staffing coordinators. The Future of Management Development conference presented by Jacob Fleming Conferences is ideal for vice presidents, managing directors, directors, department heads, managers, consultants, and human resource advisors.

Attend career management events with informative workshops and reputable speakers

Select events in career management that offer a selection of classes, exhibits and workshops relevant to your career. For the most beneficial learning experience, look for career management seminars and classes focused on specific topics rather than broad generalizations. Choose conferences in career management with successful, reputable and credible speakers who are known for their career management expertise.

I recommend: The International Career Development Conference features popular authors, career coaches, workforce development experts and career counselors as keynote speakers. The Society for Human Resource Management Staffing Management Conference & Exposition features presenters who specialize in employment and staffing, and workshops detailing new techniques and practices. The Annual Talent Management Summit focuses on employee development topics like career pathing, onboarding, analytics, multigenerational workforces, employer branding, engaging millenials and global talent.

Choose career management seminars and events in your price range

Register for career management events that fit within your budget. In addition to the conference fees, factor in costs for travel, lodging and meals. To save money, consider a smaller local or regional career management seminar, rather than a larger national or international career management event.

I recommend: The ASHP Career Management Conference: Planning Your Professional Future is free for pharmacy residents enrolled in an ASHP-accredited program. The Building Your Professional Worth conference offers special rates for Alliance members. Register for American Management Association's (AMA) Talent Management seminar online or by phone, fax or mail with discounts for AMA members.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  To save on travel fees, consider participating in online career management seminars. While you may not benefit from the networking opportunities that come with attending career management conferences, you will still receive the same valuable educational information from the comfort of your home or office.