Virtual job fairs can offer great opportunities for finding jobs you may otherwise have missed. At many of these, you’ll also discover a variety of learning resources.
But what are virtual job fairs? Are they different from traditional job fairs, and how do you prepare for them? In this article, you’ll discover the answers to all of these questions.
What Is a Virtual Job Fair?
A virtual job fair is a career fair that is held online. To get involved, you’ll typically need to sign up for a fair on the event’s website or through an organizer. Afterward, the event will send you joining information via email.
As you might expect from virtual job fairs, you’ll often find a range of remote working opportunities alongside location-specific ones. So, even if you don’t live in the event organizer’s location, you might still find useful opportunities.
At virtual career fairs, you can browse each employer’s virtual stand and talk to hosts to learn more about the company. Some events also enable you to upload your resume for potential employers to look at.
Virtual job fairs also offer various educational resources. For example, you might learn more about putting together a resume and cover letter that will get you hired. Some events will also provide tips on acing job interviews and where to find the best jobs.
How Much Do Virtual Job Fairs Cost?
Almost all virtual job fairs are free of charge.
If an event charges a fee, you need to be very careful and do your research before committing to anything. In most cases, virtual job fairs that demand a payment from you are scams.
What Happens If I Can’t Attend The Event?
A huge benefit of virtual job fairs is that you can still get involved even if you can’t attend in real-time. After each event, organizers will usually send resources and recordings from the careers fair to your email inbox. You will then have a certain number of days to access those files.
Even if you can’t attend an event because of time zone differences or something else, it’s still a good idea to sign up for fairs that look interesting to you.
Examples of Virtual Job Fairs
Job fairs are held in various locations around the world, including the US. In a lot of cases, you can sign up for events even if you’re based in a different country.
One online job fair example is the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE) Virtual Career Fair. This event is designed specifically to help Hispanic professionals find high-quality employers to grow their skills within.
The National Career Fairs website also has a calendar filled with upcoming virtual career fairs in the US. It’s a great site to bookmark for future reference.
How to Prepare for a Virtual Career Fair
Before attending a virtual career fair, you need to make sure you’re prepared. Here are some suggestions that will have you ready for your upcoming event.
Update Your LinkedIn Profile
If you’re serious about landing an interesting job, updating your LinkedIn profile is essential. These days, some of the most exciting companies to work with are present on the platform. By extension, the most exciting talent is also active on LinkedIn.
Besides updating your headline and career experience, it’s also a good idea to start sharing your expertise. For example, you can join conversations in your profession and write posts to share your thoughts on a particular topic.
Another way you can set yourself apart from the crowd on LinkedIn is by blogging about your industry.
Clean Up Your Resume
If you haven’t updated your resume for a few months or even longer, now is the time to change that.
You’ve only got a few seconds to impress hiring managers. Not updating your resume gives off the impression that you don’t care. It also lowers the quality of the employers that want to hire you.
Besides updating your job titles, give your skills and role descriptions a facelift. Feel free to get creative; companies will appreciate your time and effort.
Work on Your Elevator Pitch
What do you do? Who do you help? You should be able to answer both of these questions when someone asks you.
Before you attend a virtual job fair, it’s wise to work on your elevator pitch. This only needs to be around 30 seconds and should not be a repeat of your resume.
In your elevator pitch, talk about why you’re excited to work with prospective companies and how you see them fitting into your broader career plans.
Decide on Your Objectives for Each Virtual Job Fair
To get the most out of each virtual job fair, setting objectives before you log in is a smart idea. Are you looking specifically for a job, or do you simply want to expand your network and learn a few new tips and tricks?
Knowing what you want to get out of each virtual job fair will guide your preparation. You will also discover that your conversations are better and more intentional when talking to people at the event.
Identify Who You Want to Talk To
Before signing up for any event, take a look at all of the companies and people attending. Identify who would be the most interesting to talk to and focus your preparation efforts around those.
Think of a few questions you’ll ask them and make sure you understand how, beyond providing a paycheck, they can help you. For example, do they have a good company culture and lots of growth opportunities?
Get Ready to Boost Your Career Prospects Online
Virtual career fairs are helping to make exciting jobs more accessible to people who wouldn’t have previously had such opportunities. But beyond finding work, they are also useful for networking and learning more either about your industry or careers in general.
Since they’re free, online job fairs are also low risk. But before you sign up, thinking about what you want to achieve will help you maximize your time at these events.
