Are in-person job fairs a thing of the past?
Has the world moved towards only preferring a job fair online? The answer isn’t quite a simple yes or no to either. Online job fairs were rare prior to COVID, and were particularly reserved for specific niches and typically for “teleworking” employees, a phrase which has evolved into “remote workers.”
Now, remote workers exist in almost every sector, even at companies that provide tangible services. For example, much of the sales and marketing teams may still be remote, as may accounting, and so forth. Hospitality workers, repair staff, IT, and the like are required in-person, but other moving parts can be remote now.
In-person job fairs are still fewer today because COVID remains classified as a “global pandemic,” with many cities still imposing restrictions. Event organizers are eagerly awaiting conditions for offline events to be back in full swing, but in many sectors the appetite for that is not quite there yet.
One of the few good things that has come out of the tragic conditions of a global pandemic has not only been remote work, but the transition to fully online conditions for conferences, networking events, and online job fairs.
What many people on the outside don’t know is that even now, the options for a company to host an online job fair remain minimal, and we’ve found that it is a series of complex softwares that must be duct-taped together to form a professional, cohesive online event. Further, hiring people to run an online job fair is difficult given how few have that experience under their belt compared to offline job fairs.
So, while in-person job fairs are NOT a thing of the past, remote workers will most likely stick to online job fairs, so what can one expect?
What to Expect from a Virtual Job Fair
With the rise in online job and career fairs, it’s fair to assume they will take on a niche of their own, developing into a unique networking opportunity separate from in-person events. Even so, there are a couple of common things to be aware of to ensure you’re investing your time wisely and safely.
Pro Tip: Do your homework before attending. Has this company hosted an online job fair before? Search Twitter and Facebook for what people have said about it, and see if you know anyone who has been.
If you can’t find out what company is hosting, there is no contact information, no individuals listed as humans involved, no companies are listed as hiring, it’s just a vague event page about a vague online event, it’s potentially fake. There are always scammers looking to snag info or trick people into sending them money for equipment they’ll never send.
For example, if it looks like an Amazon hiring event, but the URL is something wholly unrelated, like peanutbutter999.mx or wearehiringatamazongwarehousesandsuch.co instead of Amazon.com/hiring-event-Dallas-July-2023-warehouse, it’s fake. It’s easy to fake an online event, it’s hard to fake an offline event.
Don’t be fearful, just be observant and do some homework up front before registering.
When you find a high-quality job fair to attend, you can expect that when you register, they’ll immediately email not only your attendance tickets, but all of the information you’ll need. They should inform you of what technologies are required, for example, whether you can use a smartphone or if it’s better that you use a laptop or desktop.
As they set expectations, they might not all offer you tips, but they’ll at least tell you what time to show up and how.
But WE can help with some tips on preparing for an online job fair, and how to stand out during an online job fair.
How to Prepare for an Online Job Fair
Any good preparation includes homework. Research any and all companies that are going to be there, and look at what roles they are hiring for. Some may not be on their page yet, but don’t ever approach a recruiter and say, “so what are you hiring for?” because your resume is trashed before you say anything else. Do your homework – read their Careers page online, and their Glassdoor reviews.
Get your resume perfected. Hire a resume writer if it’s in the budget, or have professional contacts and mentors review it for you and ask for harsh criticism. Use numbers whenever possible, and avoid vague language. “Responsible for managing a growing team” is less impressive than “Expanded a team of 12 to 33 while improving individual efficiencies by 27% in one year.” Brains remember numbers, not vague phrases. Also, power words are your friend when resume writing, and passive language is your enemy. If you’re transitioning from on-site to remote work, you may find these resumes tips helpful, too.
Do a run through with all of your technology. If you can avoid being on wifi on event day, plug into the wall if possible. Otherwise, do a dry run with wifi – if their event is on Zoom, make sure the morning of the event that Zoom doesn’t want to do a 3 hour update. If the job fair is on some strange platform, make sure you have your browser updated. If you’ve never been on cam where you are, do a run through of that even if it’s just you on video alone – what is the lighting like? Can people see or hear you? Don’t chance it by waiting.
Do a run through of your verbal answers. Even though it’s online, a job fair may still be face to face with another human, or several humans, so you may end up being asked simple questions to screen you on the spot. YouTube has so many good (and bad) mock interviews where a human asks you questions on video and gives you time to answer in your own home. Here is one mock interview worth practicing with, and there are many great videos available like this one on how to prepare for a video interview.
If you need any accommodations, reach out to the event organizers immediately. Sometimes they know what to do, sometimes they don’t, so be sure to practice kindness when guiding them. For example, if you’re hearing impaired, you likely already have the technology on hand, but the event organizer should give employers a heads-up that they might need to speak clearly for accessibility purposes. If you’re uncomfortable asking for accommodations, we won’t judge you, but because you have skills, we encourage you to see that you’re worth it!
How to Stand Out During an Online Job Fair
Consider your attire. If you’re in tech applying for a customer support role, and the job fair is online, you aren’t required to wear a suit, but depending on the location they’re hiring from, you’ll want to aim for business casual or a top with a collar. If you’re applying for a Sales Director role in the insurance world, a blazer without a tie is a good call. You don’t have to dress quite as nicely as you would for an offline event, but don’t wear pajamas. Be comfortable so you can be confident, but know your audience. When in doubt, email the event organizers and just ask.
After the event is where the magic happens. They’ll meet so many candidates on the day of the event, so the post-event action is the secret to shining. Of course you should apply with any special instructions, and try to do that within 24 hours of the online job fair so you’re still top of mind. If you wait a week or forget to use any special instructions they’ve asked you to follow, you’ve hurt your chances. At the event, find out what communication method is best if you have follow up questions, and use that to reach out with a quick thank you note. These tips on networking via LinkedIn can help, too! You’d be surprised at how few people actually do that, and how easy it is to stand out when you write a brief message thanking them for their time, and that you applied, and you look forward to seeing if you’re a fit for each other.
Consider that everyone involved is nervous – the event organizers need it to go smoothly, every candidate is job hunting for an important reason, employers have openings they may be struggling to find the perfect person for, and as humans, it’s just nerve-wracking to be in this situation. If imposter syndrome is holding you back, you aren’t alone. Here are some ways you can conquer it so your skills and assets shine. So take a deep breath, then dive on in!
Offline job fairs will be back eventually, but virtual job fairs are here to stay, and will just keep getting better. So while you shouldn’t expect a universally phenomenal experience quite yet, it’s more important that YOU stand out as a candidate. You’ve got this – we’re pulling for ya!
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