Here’s what you need to know about virtual job fairs

By Adisa Hargett-Robinson

Feb 4, 2018

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You can buy groceries online, find a date, look for an apartment - why not start your new career online too? Online job fairs are becoming increasingly popular and could one day become the standard for job fairs. Like any other career fair, they allow job seekers to interact with employers directly. Unlike traditional career fairs, you don’t actually get to have a face-to-face conversation. That doesn't mean you can just roll out of bed, boot up your computer and get job offers rolling in without doing some work beforehand. Here are some tips on how to prepare for online job fairs. (Peopleimages/Getty Images)

To get deals on Black Friday, some people camp outside stores hours in advance, map out which sales start when and strategize which bargains to go after first. The people who just roll up to the mall without a plan probably aren't going to get their hands on that super-discounted TV. The same is true for online job fairs. Figure out the details in advance. For example, you may need to reserve a spot through early registration. Fail to do so and and you could miss the deadline to attend or end up spending the entire career fair in the virtual waiting room, getting you nowhere. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

Just because you don’t have to dress up or leave your house to attend the career fair doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare. It actually means you should prepare more. It’s crucial that you research the company beforehand because there will be little small talk. The conversations will be straight to the point. Be prepared with answers for when recruiters ask why you're interested in their particular company, what specific work you want to do, what applicable skills you have and other questions. (Eenevski/Getty Images)

Since the job fair is online you must join a booth to access each employer. Like a regular job fair, you have to approach the employer, they won’t approach you. You will need to join a booth to be put in a queue to chat with a recruiter. You can wait to chat in multiple booths at once, and you will be placed in the first available chat. Once you are in a chat, your position in the other booths will be held while you are chatting. (VM/Getty)

About Adisa Hargett-Robinson

Adisa is a multimedia journalist covering Military Life, transition to civilian life and veteran education

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