Can we all admit that there has been some good to come out of the pandemic? A few benefits being the shift to more remote work, virtual meetings, and now virtual job fairs!

If you’ve ever been to an in-person job fair, a virtual one might not make any sense. In-person, you would walk from booth to booth dropping off your resume. You might have a time slotted to meet with a recruiter at a particular company. You may even get an on-the-spot interview!

So, how does that work in the virtual environment?

Read on to find out and to get links to upcoming Job Fairs in Austin!

What is a Virtual Job/Career Fair?

In short, a virtual job fair is a remote opportunity for recruiters and job seekers to connect and discuss possible opportunities.

There is a difference between a job fair and a career fair.

A job fair is typically reserved for college students preparing to enter the workforce and securing a position before graduation.

A career fair is geared toward everyone, from entry-level to experienced. Depending on where you are at, you will likely want to be looking for virtual career fairs and that’s what I’ll be talking about for the rest of this post.

Should I Attend a Virtual or In-Person Career Fair?

There are pros and cons to each.

What makes virtual so appealing is that it is ideal for those seeking remote work.

Virtual career fairs allow you to be hired internationally if that is something you’re interested in.

They’re also a lot more time efficient. At an in-person event, you can find yourself wandering for a while trying to do find a company that interests you. Online, you know who the participants are ahead of time and can schedule with each accordingly.

Lastly, it’s an introvert paradise. You’re not in a crowded event center filled with noise and distractions. You’re in the comfort of your home, coffee by your side, and comfortably dressed waist down.

Long answer short, if you’re reading this article, you’re going to want to attend a virtual career fair.

What do I do at a Virtual Career Fair?

Find One

First things first, you need to find virtual career fairs to join. A quick Google search will bring up tons of options.

Or you can read on for a list of virtual career fairs geared at people located in Austin.

Each fair does things a little differently. After your register, you’ll be able to sign up for a variety of connection methods from one-on-one to panel and group sessions. There are also chat room options sometimes. Perhaps the most popular are webinars that introduce you to who the company is looking for and what they’re about.

Technical Troubleshoot.

Just like you would before any sort of meeting, you’ll want to prepare. This includes becoming familiar with the technology the fair uses, such as Handshake or vFairs and testing your microphone and speakers.

HINT: Wear headphones when on a virtual call so the recipient won’t get feedback from your speakers.

Get Ready!

Now it’s time to prepare yourself! Get your resume written and spruced up. Write an attention-grabbing cover letter. Have your post-meet thankyou note drafted and make sure your LinkedIn profile is looking good.