Learn To Find New Opportunies With Virtual Career Fairs

Virtual career fairs are on the rise! While virtual career fairs have been around for a few decades, the pandemic forced many organizations to invest in virtual platforms and adopt them into their daily practices. 

In this article, we’ll focus on career fairs held in the cyber world: what they look like, the pros, the cons, and how to successfully participate in one.

No idea what a career fair even is? I’ve got your back. Learn what career fairs are all about here. Virtual career fairs are very similar to in-person career fairs, but they’re entirely conducted online.

Even as in-person events come back, it looks like virtual career fairs will be sticking around too. Why? In short, virtual fairs offer a ton of benefits to both fair organizers and employers. Companies don’t have to spend the money or time sending recruiters to in-person career fairs. Employers can reach more candidates when geography isn’t a barrier. Hiring processes can also be accelerated when the fair and follow-on interviews are all conducted virtually. 

The format: What do virtual career fairs look like?

There are a ton of software platforms that can be used for virtual career fairs and they all vary greatly. Some have fancy graphical displays that allow companies to design virtual “booths” and participants can even create their own aviators. Others have simple navigation options with minimal graphics. But, in general, most virtual fairs have at least two features: a virtual booth with a chat room feature and a private video call option. 

The virtual “booth”

Each company will normally have its own dedicated virtual room or “booth”. Some large companies, or fairs hosted individually by a single company, may even have separate booths set up for different divisions within their company. 

Typically, you can join a virtual booth anytime during the fair. You’ll likely see some company information, including a link to current job postings, and a chat window. You may also see other features like an introduction video you can watch or a short questionnaire you should fill out to help the recruiters get to know you. 

Most virtual booths will have at least one company representative in the general chat room to engage with everyone who joins the room. This is your chance to ask general questions and give a quick introduction. The virtual fair platform should also give you an option to post or link to your resume so company reps can easily access it.

Private video calls

Most virtual fairs will also enable video calls for one-on-one or small group discussions. They are normally very short sessions, so make sure you’ve prepared your elevator pitch! 

There are a few ways to join a private video call:

1. Before the career fair, some fairs/companies will allow you to sign up for a video call with a specific company at a specific time. Definitely take advantage of this option if it’s offered!
2. During the career fair, you may be able to request a short video call in real-time when you join a company’s virtual booth. A company rep may or may not honor your request depending on how busy they are and what kind of candidates they’re looking to hire. 
3. A company rep may also request a short video call with you if you’ve impressed them with your digital resume or with your comments in their virtual booth’s chat room. Always be prepared to turn on your camera! Some virtual fair platforms even have a “matchmaking” feature that helps company reps connect with qualified candidates.

The Pros: Why should you consider attending virtual career fairs?

Virtual career fairs may open new doors for you.

How, you may ask? Here are a few ways virtual career fairs can connect you with new opportunities:

Pro #1: Distance is no longer a barrier. 

You can scout out career fairs across the country (or even across the world) from the comfort of your own home. This is especially helpful if you’re attending a small college, studying from a satellite campus, or taking classes online. Virtual (or hybrid) career fairs open more doors to you. They can give you more opportunities to connect with companies that don’t attend in-person career fairs near you. 

Even if you already attend a college known for excellent career fairs, virtual options may offer even more opportunities. More companies may participate simply because it’s more convenient for them to participate. 

You may even see individual companies host their own career fair. So, if there’s a company you’re really interested in, watch out for those special events. Follow them on social media, sign up for their email distribution, and periodically scan their website to get the latest information.

Pro #2: Dedicated time to talk with company reps.

In-person career fairs can get crowded quickly, which can make it hard to ask questions when you’re competing for their attention (especially if you’re a naturally quiet or shy person!). So, companies that offer one-on-one private video calls can give you the opportunity for your voice to be heard. 

Pro #3: Costs are reduced. 

While many career fairs are free to job seekers, you can avoid other expenses. You no longer need to worry about transportation costs. You can spend less on clothes (who cares if you’re wearing jeans instead of dress pants on a webcam?). You don’t need a professional-looking backpack or a padfolio. And, you don’t need to print out copies of your resume.

Pro #4: Other physical barriers are removed. 

Need wheelchair accessibility? You don’t need to stress about random steps in the middle of a campus lawn blocking your route. Got an annoying cold? Connect with companies without getting others sick… and without tiring yourself out by walking a billion steps around a giant fair. Bad weather? No worries there, as long it doesn’t affect your internet connection! 

The Cons: The downside of virtual career fairs (and how to work around them)

In some cases, technology just can’t completely replace face-to-face human interactions. 

Let’s talk about a few specifics, as well as some workaround tips to make your virtual fairs as impactful as possible:

Con #1: It’s harder to read body language Online.

As we’re all aware in the era of Zoom meetings and virtual classes…. body language doesn’t always come through in a video call. It’s harder to judge postures, facial expressions, and other gestures. 

And, of course, if you’re in a text-only chat room, there’s no body language to read. Making a good impression through text messages can definitely be challenging… especially when you can’t rely on emoticons to help convey your emotions.

Workaround tips: 

1. Work on your confidence in video calls. Even just smiling, making eye contact, and talking clearly can make a positive impression. There are great tips across YouTube for making good impressions on video interviews, like this one. 
2. For interactions via text, remind yourself to be professional and articulate in your written responses. 
3. Don’t overanalyze how the company reps respond, both in text and video. Don’t try to put emotion into their written words. Don’t get nervous if they aren’t smiling all the time in your video call. Remember that they’re talking to tons and tons of candidates in a very short amount of time, which can be incredibly exhausting! Be understanding and compassionate. 

Con #2: It’s easier to get distracted Online.

It’s easier for distractions to get in your way, especially when you don’t have your video on. Alerts on your phone. Loud roommates. Trying to juggle other tasks like homework at the same time. Heck, it’s even easier to get lost in your own thoughts when you aren’t forced to make eye contact with another human being. 

Workaround tips: 

1. Avoid multitasking. Turn off phone notifications. Close out other applications on your computer. 
2. Find a distraction-free place to hang out for the duration of the fair… preferably away from nosy people. 
3. Actively take notes during the fair. Not only will this help you focus, but those notes will be a great reference for you after the fair. 

Con #3: You may be easier to ignore.

Recruiters have a lot going on at these events. This means you could easily turn into a digital wallflower if you aren’t being proactive and grabbing their attention.

When you attend an in-person career fair, you’ll notice it’s much harder to ignore someone when they are physically in front of you (even if you’re a shy person…you’re still in front of their face!). Whereas, in a virtual environment, you may need to get more creative to stand out in a positive way. 

Workaround tips:

1. Work on making your resume stand out, especially if your GPA is low or you don’t have much experience to add to it yet. Emphasize your willingness to learn and why you’re excited to work for that company. 
2. Find fairs that allow you to sign up to talk with a company rep one-on-one ahead of time. This gives you guaranteed one-on-one time to help you make a positive impression.
3. Have your “elevator pitch” ready to go, both in written form for a chat room and verbally for a video call. 

Con #4: Technology doesn’t always work the way we expect it to.

If you have a spotty wifi connection, a virtual fair will turn into one giant, tangled ball of frustration. Some virtual fair platforms may also be more intuitive to learn than others.

Workaround tips:

1. Find a place where you’ll have reliable internet If this virtual fair is super important to you, consider having a backup plan, just in case you need it (like a nearby cafe with free wifi). 
2. Test out the platform before the fair. Register and log in before the event. If you can’t log in ahead of time, google the platform they will be using. You can often find video demos on YouTube that will walk you through what to expect. 

Tips before the event: How do you prepare for virtual career fairs? 

Virtual career fairs may come with less stress (no need to worry about what shoes to wear!). But, you’ll still want to make sure you’re prepared. 

1. Do your research just like you would for an in-person career fair. 
2. Be ready to market yourself. This is also similar to an in-person career fair. Make sure to update your profile on LinkedIn or on the specific platform being used by the career fair, like Handshake. Have your electronic resume ready to share in a common format (like PDF) in case you get the chance to send it directly to a recruiter. 
3. Clearly read through the virtual career fair website. Make sure you follow all their directions, such as signing up for specific sessions ahead of time.
4. Find a place where you will have a good internet connection, a quiet area, and a clean, neutral background. 
5. Test your virtual setup. Practice using your mics, speakers/earphones, and video camera. If possible, try joining the virtual career site before the event. 

Tips for the day of a virtual career fair

1. If you’ve signed up for any specific sessions, don’t be late. Sign in a few minutes early in case you run into any last-minute IT issues… like your computer deciding it wants to force a last-minute software update (why, computer, why?!). 
2. Be confident. In the chat room, engage with the recruiters and fellow participants. Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask to have a one-on-one discussion. Even if you’re feeling nervous, put on a smile and re-channel those feelings into excitement… even if your camera isn’t on! It’ll help get your brain into the right state of mind.
3. Be professional in the chat room. Avoid slang, emoticons, or text shorthand. Don’t forget to proofread your spelling and grammar before you hit send. Be courteous to your fellow participants in group chat rooms (being rude will never make a good impression!). 
4. Before you leave a video call or chat room, ask what your next steps should be if it’s not already clear to you. Example: how should I apply to X position? 

Takeaway message

Virtual career fairs have the exact same purpose as in-person career fairs. Try out both online and in-person events to see what you like more. Even if you prefer in-person career fairs, you may find more opportunities to connect with your favorite companies at virtual events.

Both in-person and virtual career fairs have their own pros and cons, so think about what your career goals are. Then, find the career fairs that will support your goals, whether they are virtual, in-person or both! 

You’ve got this!