Virtual Hiring Events: 5 Important Things Job Seekers Should Know
Publié le 16 June 2020
Virtual hiring events are a safe and effective way for job seekers and employers to connect with each other. Before taking part, there are 5 important things that job seekers should know about virtual hiring events.
Job Fairs Go Online
For job seekers, hiring events and job fairs have been a standard and reliable method of finding opportunities for years. It’s a simple way for employers to gather a large pool of qualified candidates in one place at the same time. Instead of sorting through resumes and applications one at a time, hiring events allow employers to collect info and connect face-to-face with a large number of prospective candidates all at once. As large-sized events have been canceled for the foreseeable future and many businesses have moved fully online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hiring events have had to be adapted to fit the current reality of job searching.
For job seekers preparing for a virtual hiring event, there are 5 important things you should know:
- Find an event in your field
- Be on-time and prepared
- Have your CV ready
- Sell yourself
- Follow-up later
Find an Event in Your Field
Unemployment is an unfortunate reality that many people are currently facing. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in millions of lost jobs in Canada alone, with multiple industries and sectors seeing reduced revenue and resulting contraction of their workforce. Even though there are government resources designed to help professionals and businesses, many people are still in search of regular work, particularly in their chosen field.
Virtual hiring events, like traditional job fairs, tend to be organized in two different ways. First – by industry, where multiple companies in the same sector gather a pool of candidates. Second – by company, where a large corporation will be hiring to fill a large number of different positions in various departments. This means that virtual hiring events tend to already be organized by job type and sector. Use job boards, LinkedIn and good old fashioned Google to find virtual hiring events for industries or companies in your field. Once you have located one that meets your needs, simply sign up and mark it in your calendar.
Be On-Time and Prepared
Once you have signed up and RSVP’d for a virtual hiring event, you will likely receive an email confirming the time and possibly containing a link to the video call. Like any job interview, being on-time is very important. When surveyed, 93% of hiring managers stated that being late would definitely hurt a candidate’s chances of being hired. Not only will being late not help you make a good first impression, but links sent for the video call will only work for a specific period of time. If you miss the window and click the link after the fact, nothing will happen.
As virtual hiring events take place online, you need to be sure that your computer and internet connection will be able to successfully connect with potential employers. The rise in work from home during the pandemic has led to a proliferation of video calling apps and software — Zoom, Houseparty, Skype, Google Meet, Messenger Video — that gives many different options to job seekers and employers looking to connect. If possible, find out what program employers will be using during the virtual hiring event and test it out on your device beforehand. This will help to familiarize yourself with the program and reduce the chances of technical mishaps causing problems during your interview.
Have Your CV Ready
When signing up for a virtual hiring event, you will likely be asked to upload your resume, cover letter and other documents as part of the application process. When it’s time for you to speak with employers during the virtual hiring events, you should still have a copy of your CV open and ready to be re-sent. HR managers and employers already get an average of 250 resumes for an available job role, and this number only increases at hiring events.
Given the sheer quantity of resumes that employers will receive, you should be prepared to re-supply them with important information about your professional history in case your CV has accidentally been lost in the shuffle. Instead of spending some of your valuable interview time searching for these documents, have them ready to send and reference at a moment’s notice.
Sell Yourself — Quickly
The reality of virtual hiring events and job fairs is that there are far more job seekers than there are available jobs roles. Given the limited time and the vast amount of job seekers vying for the same opportunity, you need to be able to quickly sell yourself. If you know about specific job roles that an employer is looking to fill beforehand, review through their requirements and highlight elements of your resume and CV that easily demonstrate how you meet their needs.
Go through your professional history and think about specific achievements and accomplishments of which you are particularly proud. Break down how you used your professional skills and abilities to complete these projects successfully, and how you solved any problems which arose. There are even specific techniques, such as the S.T.A.R Method, for effectively organizing your work history in a job interview. Doing so will help you make the best use of your time during a virtual hiring event.
Follow-Up Later
Once your time at the virtual hiring event is up, you should send a follow-up message to the employers you spoke to within the first week, if not sooner. A poll of hiring managers found that 80% said receiving a follow-up message was either somewhat helpful or very helpful when making a final hiring decision. Given the sheer number of people they would have spoken to at a virtual hiring event, it never hurts to remind an employer about your conversation. When writing your follow-up message, remember to:
- Keep it brief and to the point
- Include the exact job role if possible
- Mention a specific subject from your interview
- invite them to reach out for more information
For people looking for employment, virtual hiring events offer the opportunity to get in front of a large number of employers. During the ongoing pandemic, it is a safe way to connect with employers and seek different opportunities. Take advantage by finding and signing up for virtual hiring events in your field, being punctual and prepared, with a well-written resume ready to sell yourself, and remembering to follow-up after the event is over. Virtual hiring events are a new part of the job search process that job seekers and employers must learn to navigate. Doing so successfully will benefit both and help qualified people excel in new job roles.
