Goodbye suit and tie. Hello click and send. The career fair is undergoing a rapid transformation. The traditional face-to-face career fairs may soon be a thing of the past. It can now take the form of a digital collaboration meant to streamline the interview process to save the employer both time and money.
Find A Fair
An online search for a virtual career fair in your area is likely to reveal multiple events scheduled through your local community college or university. These fairs take place completely online, allowing job-seekers to handle all aspects of their job search from the comfort of their own computer.
When you find a virtual job fair, you can search through the list of employers that will be represented. This will give you get a sense of what types of opportunities will be available, which also will help you in customizing your resume and cover letter for the positions that interest you the most.
Recruiter Interaction
Traditionalists may be slow to embrace virtual job fairs because of their lack of human interaction. But many of these events are set up with live chat capabilities. Candidates can chat with recruiters from various companies to ask questions about their open positions. They also can answer any immediate inquiries a hiring manager may have about professional achievements, educational backgrounds, and key strengths.
Diversify Your Strategy
There are many reasons to jump on board the virtual train when it comes to job-seeking. The act of reaching recruiters through digital means is convenient, simple and proving to be effective for all involved parties. But just like your investment strategy, it is important to diversify. Depending solely on one avenue for potential job opportunities can damage your chances of landing your next gig. For every digital career fair you “attend,” you should make plans to visit a traditional fair at your local college or trade organization. Doing so will help get you face to face with hiring managers, who in many cases still prefer this type of interaction to get a feel for your personality. Other career-seeking strategies to employ include uploading your resume to job boards, searching for specific job openings on social media, cold-calling potential employers and using a headhunter to find tailored openings.
