white guy at a minority/diversity job fair

[Megara]

How bad is that?  Will firms look down upon white guys for applying and interviewing with them when the job fair is geared toward hiring african americans, latinos, women, and other minorities?

[StevePirates]

Are you diverse in other ways?  Challenging upbringing?  Grew up in abject poverty?  Alternative lifestyle?

[Megara]

my family was on food stamps/welfare for awhile, but that is about it.  There is some other stuff, but nothing i would ever mention in an interview.

[Matthies]

When is the job fair? If you got a few days, go out this weekend and get your gay on. Sure it will be uncomfertable at first, new things always are, but you get used to it, just close your eyes and think about the boost you will get in interviewing.

[Megara]

hahaha, maybe...maybe.

[EarlCat]

There is some other stuff, but nothing i would ever mention in an interview.

 

[Megara]

?  I just don't feel its anyone's business, and i doubt they want to hear any of it... 

[simonsays]

of course we want to hear it. don't leave us in suspense.

[pikey]

I suspect that attending a diversity fair as a white male may potentially hurt you more than it will help you.  Firstly, firms might think you're trying to scam them.  Secondly, firms go to these events specifically to recruit minorities.  Therefore, they're not trying to recruit you.  They might even be annoyed that you "took" a spot that could have been used to interview another minority.  You'd have to really impress them in order for them to give you a call-back when they already have hundreds of white males that they're interviewing and they're specifically looking for minorities.

Unless you have outstanding credentials and/or interviewing skills, I probably wouldn't do it.  Where are you trying to interview?  There are lots of career fairs that don't specifically target minorities.

[StevePirates]

I wouldn't even do it if I had outstanding credentials.

If you're not diverse in some way don't go.  There are plenty of ways for a white guy to be diverse... so don't let the color of your skin discourage you. 

But, if at the end of the day, you're the generic heterosexual white male with no exceptional circumstances.... then you're going to waste everyones time by going.