Virtual career fairs have blown up in recent times and are slowly proving that they can be just as effective and good, if not better, than the conventional career fairs we’re accustomed to. They have proven to be quite helpful to graduates who are fresh in the job market as well as young students who are looking for guidance in terms of what career paths to follow. So why are virtual career fairs becoming so popular? Is it worth attending? Well, if you’re also wondering the same thing, we’ve got answers for you.
Convenience
The first thing that makes online career fair appealing is the element of convenience that they come with. Modern technology has enabled us to do various things right from the comfort of our houses without necessarily having to move a finger and a virtual career fair is a perfect example of some of these things. With a virtual career fair, all you need to do is have a reliable internet connection and a device that will enable you to log in securely. This eliminates the need of having to book hotels and flight tickets to various destinations and thus reduces costs. It makes it possible for you to attend a fair that is on the other side of the world without having to move an inch. Also, by eliminating the need for traveling to the actual venue, online career fairs make it possible for one to attend different fairs in different places on the same day.
Networking is Easier
One of the main reasons for attending a career fair would be to create networks that will help boost your career. The challenge to this is that a good percentage of people are usually shy and therefore find it somewhat difficult to socialize with the people at a career fair and create those networks. With a virtual career fair, that no longer has to be something to worry about because the need for physical interactions is eliminated. It is much easier for one to network with someone else from the opposite end of the world while they are right at the comfort of their homes. Online chatting is more comfortable and at this point the other people get to focus on your skills and qualifications instead of personal chemistry and how good you are socializing with others.
Your Questions Answered
It has been proven that attendees of a virtual career fair tend to ask almost twice the number of questions as compared to those in a conventional fair. This is largely due to the fact that not too many people are gifted with public speaking abilities and may therefore struggle to articulate themselves clearly when in the presence of hundreds of other attendees. With a virtual career fair, you are comfortably seated behind your screen so you are less likely to have the social anxiety you would when asking a question in front of hundreds of others. When you are comfortable, you are able to ask all the pressing questions you’ve been having and are equally more likely to receive a satisfactory answer.
You Could Get a Job
While the chances of securing a job offer while attending a career fair aren’t that favorable, it is not completely impossible. There have been numerous people who kick-started their careers by attending a career fair and impressing their employers so much that they got an offer on the spot. You have to remember that employers in big companies attend these fairs looking for young ambitious graduates they can add to their workforce. Therefore, every conversation is more like an interview and the more you impress them with your charisma the higher your chances of getting a job are. Also, with online career fairs, you can easily share your documents virtually and don’t have to deal with carrying certificates and cover letters everywhere.
At the end of the day, career fairs are always worth attending because you never know what could come out of one. You could create networks that will come to be of help ten years down the line or you could very easily end the day with a job offer or two.
