It’s here. You hoped it could be avoided, but you knew it was coming. There’s no stopping it now—the virtual career fair.
Circumstances beyond our control have dictated that career fairs be held virtually this fall. Not ideal, yet a viable solution given the alternative. You may be thinking that this is a whole new ball game, the likes of which you could never have anticipated six months ago, let alone last fall. True, but it doesn’t have to be. A virtual career fair can accomplish most everything the typical in-person career fair can accomplish, albeit through an entirely different medium.
Chances are you’ve already experienced attending class virtually and may even be doing so now. Odds are most career fairs will require the same level of adaptation, perhaps skewed more toward more traditional career fair protocols. Here are some tips for participating in your virtual career fairs this fall.
- Ensure that your resume is updated, accurate, and accessible. You would want to do this anyway, right? However, it is now increasingly more important to do this since recruiters often select the students with whom they want to speak based upon the information highlighted on your resume.
- Find out which employers are attending the career fair. Most schools will list the employers who are planning on attending as companies register for the event. You can typically access this information on the same system by which you registered for the event yourself. Identify those organizations on which you wish to focus and do your homework.
- Prepare your talking points. Construct your “elevator pitch” – a short overview of your background, skill sets and career goals. You can even practice your spiel with a friend or family member.
- Dress professionally. Even though you won’t be meeting in person, the image you portray is still important. Not only will you be dressed for success, you will likely feel a boost in self-confidence.
- Choose your “venue” wisely. Find a place where you can openly communicate with minimal distraction. Ensure the location is quiet and contains a neutral background prone to keeping the recruiters’ focus on you.
- Be on time. If you have assigned times to be online with various employers, make sure you are on time and ready to go. Demonstrate your dependability and respectful.
- Maintain focus during your discussions. Maintain eye contact and practice active listening. Smile and nod affirmatively on occasion just as you would in person.
- Ask questions. Have a list of general questions prepared and construct more detailed questions geared toward the organization and/or position as you progress through your discussion.
- Follow up. Communicate with employers as you would after an in-person event. Complete applications and act on any specific requests made by employer representatives in a timely manner that will aid your chances of successfully landing an interview and, ultimately, the job.
