The interview of the future: Virtual career fairs

Job fairs can be hectic, intimidating and stressful. You’re surrounded by other candidates vying for time with the same recruiters you want to speak to, and you may end up spending most of the event waiting in line for a chance at the jobs you want. The stress doesn’t help your nerves either, especially when it’s finally your turn in the hot seat.

What if you didn’t have to deal with the hustle and bustle? What if you had the opportunity to talk to firms and companies almost instantly? Cyber-recruiting makes it possible to do just that. Virtual job fairs allow you to learn about a firm, apply for a job and even talk to recruiters and other staff through instant messaging.

How common is cyber-recruiting?

While this method isn’t the standard yet, it’s quickly moving into the mainstream. Just last fall, KPMG held a global online career fair and made 600 job offers as a result. Candidates watched a live webcast, visited a virtual exhibit hall with booths from all over the world and spoke to KPMG hiring managers and staff through instant messaging. They were able to click on a country booth to find out more about the opportunities there, and apply for jobs that suited them.

Some companies, such as data-storage firm EMC Corp., use Second Life as a recruiting tool. Visitors go to a virtual headquarters where they learn about the company’s operations and culture, and even have face-to-face interviews – well, technically they are avatar-to-avatar interviews.

What’s in it for me?

There are plenty of upsides to cyber-recruiting. People tend to communicate more directly online than they do in person. Candidates and recruiters can get to the point and find out what they want to know. Virtual job fairs also speed up the recruiting and interviewing process. One day you submit a resume, and the next day – or even the next hour – you could have an interview.

Another bonus for job seekers: Online job fairs allow recruiters to make judgments based solely on the qualifications you present. Factors such as a disability or even ethnicity, for example, don’t have as much influence because you get to focus more on your knowledge and experience.

How can I be a stand-out virtual candidate?

There are a few drawbacks to online recruiting. As a candidate, you have less of a chance to show your personality and charisma. And with online communication it’s easier to be abrupt, which can come across rude. So to put your best foot forward at a virtual job fair, heed some advice from hiring managers:

• Take advantage of any available how-to videos or instructions for navigating the job fair. To be successful you need to know how it works.
  
  
• Find out who is attending and know who you want to speak to before the fair.
  
  
• It’s still a professional setting so don’t use emoticons or chat speak. Written words come across better than “txt tlk.”
  
  
• Include work samples, a link to your personal Web site, or anything that adds to your resume and makes you stand out.
  
  
• Request a follow-up interview because you may only have 5 to 10 minutes for each first meeting.

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