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AGCAREERS.COM
AG & FOOD CAREER GUIDE
Navigating Virtual
Career Fairs
A
fter seemingly endless Zoom
classes, virtual conferences, even
digital social gatherings, hearing
the word “virtual” provokes an
almost immediate eyeroll. While the
different modalities can be difficult at
first, you can use these differences
to your benefit and find even more
opportunities to connect to employers.
So, what are some of these differences?
Job Seeker Responsibility
Joleen Hueftle, Recruiter at Gavilon,
notes the increased responsibility of the
job seeker as a key difference between
in-person and virtual career fairs.
“One of the main differences I’ve
noticed relates to the intentionality
required for students and candidates
to engage with employers,” Hueftle
said. “At an in-person fair, job seekers
can physically walk around to explore
all employers. Virtually, job seekers
must review companies in advance
and make an intentional effort to
meet with employers whereas in-
person environments often invited
conversations that wouldn’t otherwise
happen.”
This increased responsibility places
increased importance on job seekers
researching and preparing for the event,
but also requires both job seekers and
employers to be intentional about their
interactions once the career fair begins.
Intentional Communication
Bill Baker, Talent and Cultures Lead
at J.R. Simplot Company, explains that
even with the increased job seeker
responsibility, virtual career fairs
typically provide a student more time
with an employer.
“We’ve spent more time in those
conversations at virtual career fairs
than we would have in at an in-person
career fair,” Baker said. “It was probably
closer to a five to eight-minute dialogue,
maybe even 10 minutes in some
instances. Where I think at an in-person
career fair, if we go beyond three
minutes and don’t transition on, our
line gets intimidating and people stop
stopping.”
Despite the differences, both
Baker and Hueftle emphasized making
virtual interactions personable and
memorable. Without the typical person-
to-person contact seen at career fairs,
creating personal connections through
dialogue is even more important. With
more individualized time, conversation
starters can be more appropriate for
both parties to get to know each other
and find common ground to connect
on. For less experienced job seekers,
this can be a time to be honest with
employers by expressing where they
are in their career and what type
of guidance they need. Creating a
personal dialogue with a representative
increases the likelihood of them
remembering you after the event.
Though they require more effort
from all parties, virtual career fairs can
provide more opportunities. Refining
your virtual career fair approach will
help you make meaningful connections
with representatives and stand out
among your peers. To help you build
your virtual career fair toolkit, we asked
these employers some questions from
students about virtual career fairs.
How have employers adjusted
to online connections? How can
attendees of virtual career fairs
implement similar practices to be
successful?
Baker:
“A lot of what we trained
people on internally was to put the
calendar away, put the distractions away.
It’s almost easier than in-person to
really understand if someone is listening
and connecting with you. People can
easily tell if you’re typing on a keyboard
or looking elsewhere, so limit the
distractions.”
Hueftle:
“Be flexible and go with the
flow. As an employer shifting to a virtual
environment, we’ve had our fair share of
technology battles and navigating the
various platforms that each school and
organization uses. It is important to keep
in mind that we’re all in this together. If
all else fails, don’t hesitate to take down
contact information and follow-up via
email or phone later.”
What should a job seekers’ body
language and facial expressions look
like at a virtual career fair? What vocal
tone is appropriate?
Baker:
“I recommend approaching
it like a job interview. You should be
comfortable, but seeming too relaxed
can make you seem uninterested. If your
body language, appearance,
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by Kylie Farmer, AgCareers.com Marketing Intern
PHOTO: Metamorworks/iStock/Getty Images Plus