Making the most of virtual job fairs
Read on to know about how to land your dream job by participating in virtual job fairs
Welcome to One Up Your Career - the weekly info-vitamin capsule 💊 by Unnati to help you growth hack your career.
To read this issue online and leave your comments, click here.
Hey guys,
Remember the days when you could easily find job listings, send in applications, or simply travel to attend offline job fairs or walk-in interviews. But the fact is that the conventional method of job hunt has been deeply and negatively affected by the current pandemic situation. And it does not look like it is going back to old ways anytime soon.
So, the next obvious question is - what are the ways of hiring that have replaced the traditional ones? What should you know about them to get the maximum benefit out of them? Read on to know more…
Virtual job fairs
With the trend of learning from home and working from home taking over, the good news is that you can also get hired from home through virtual job fairs. Although the concept of hiring through job fairs is nothing new, it has gained more popularity in the current crisis.You no longer have to stand in long queues and attend physical job fairs. Thanks to technology you can now attend virtual career fairs without stepping out of the safety of your home. Given the current situation, it is a safe and useful option for both employers and you.
Credit: https://uca.edu/career/files/2018/06/Virtual-Career-Fair-option.png
Some Statistics for your reference
Here are some figures to look at: (Ref: https://www.selectsoftwarereviews.com/buyer-guide/virtual-career-fair-platforms)
Under normal circumstances, virtual career fairs have an average participation rate of 50%, but this figure has increased to as high as 90% since COVID-19.
45% of employers are using virtual hiring events more since the onset of the pandemic.
Due to the pandemic, experts predict that 80% of recruiting will remain virtual for the foreseeable future.
What is a virtual job fair? Why should you attend it?
A virtual career fair is a one stop destination for landing the right job.
It is an event that takes place at a predetermined date and time in which jobseekers interact with potential employers using chat rooms, webinars, video conferencing tools, among others.
It saves time and money for both the parties involved. It also eliminates any geographical constraints whatsoever.
What do you do at a virtual career fair?
Register beforehand or on the spot and submit their resume.
Log in to the platform on the day of the event. You will be greeted with exhibit halls and attractive virtual stands.
Depending on your interest choose the company and initiate one to one conversations with recruiters. You can even join group discussions.
If found eligible, you will be scheduled for video interviews right away and may be offered on the spot.
You can also attend informative sessions like company introduction by the HR Manager, a panel discussion by experts, skill assessment tests and workshops.
Tips to prepare for a virtual fair
Do your homework before attending the fair.
Learn how to sell yourself effectively.
Research your prospective employer by browsing company websites.
Dress appropriately for the occasion.
Display professionalism when you are texting the recruiters.
Virtual job fairs have emerged as one of the best ways to hire candidates, particularly during the pandemic.
Here are some links to upcoming job fairs in India:
https://www.myemploymentoptions.com/register-for-virtual-job-fair/
https://powertofly.com/events/virtual-job-fair/
Career Concerns…Answered
Do you have a career-related question? Confused where to find the answers? 🤷 Need help with practical career advice? Your search ends here…👇
Drop your questions here and tune in every week to read the answers.
I have a career gap of 7-8 months and am currently looking for jobs. Will it be difficult to find a good job?
Dear Debolina,
So there are two types of challenges you face here. The first is - how do you get your CV shortlisted and get the chance to be interviewed. The second is - how do you explain the gap in the interview. Let me answer them in this order.
So when it comes to getting shortlisted - there are two ways you can handle how you present your gap. The first is - write about it clearly. For example, in your experience section, write something like ‘Sabbatical’ and write a line about the reason for it. I have seen CVs which contained an entry in the experience column of ‘6 months Sabbatical to travel around the world’. The other approach is - you can just hide it. Like - your last experience can say something like ‘till date/ present’ and you can pretend that your CV is not updated. This will lead to more initial calls for sure, but then - in some cases it may lead to a negative impression that you did not present the accurate information on your CV. I’m generally always in favour of complete transparency, but I’m not one to preach. If you chose to show your gap - then my advice is to be more flexible in the type of jobs you are applying for - be ready to apply for roles in slight different industries/ functions/ levels etc - as you may not be shortlisted as much as people who don’t have a gap. Apply to many places, and be patient.
The other challenge is how to explain the sabbatical in the interview. This is a situation where I must stress that you need to be completely transparent. Most experienced interviewers are able to judge when someone is being dishonest and not transparent. But what you can prepare about is how to spin the situation. I personally feel that there is no such thing as a bad reason for a gap - you took a gap, so what! But in the eyes of HR folks, there are some reasons that are better than others. If you lost your job due to bad times at your company (it did not get funding/ went into losses etc) then it’s easier to explain. But if the last employer is operating as usual and you are out of a job, then you need to present the reason in a way that does not reflect negatively on you.
Job Corner
🔢🔢🔢Finance Executive | Fast Growing Ethnic Wear Brand | Delhi
Apply here
🎨🎨🎨Graphic Designer ( Branding & Motion Graphics) | Tax & Expense Mgmt Fintech | Bangalore
Apply here
💻💻💻 Full Stack Developer (MEAN) | On-demand EV mobility startup | Delhi
Apply here
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