Unemployed Workers Turning To Virtual Career Fairs
BOSTON (CBS) - For the past three years, Marybeth Gillespie spent a lot of time and energy looking for a new job.
"I used recruitment agencies. I had done cold calling," she explained.
No job offers turned up until she attended a career fair right from her own living room. She did that by participating in a virtual career fair.
"I was able to study the companies that were offering local jobs, click through to their websites, learn their culture," she said.
WBZ-TV's Paula Ebben reports.
Malcolm Lotzof of INXPO, a leading provider of platforms for virtual events, said, "We have companies like Microsoft that we've done that with. We have 3M we've done it with. P&G. Right now, we run probably a couple of hundred events every year."
It doesn't require a lot of technical skills to participate in these types of job fairs. Participants simply log on, upload their resume, and visit a variety of virtual booths. They are usually organized by company or field.
"They're given the opportunity to see job opportunities at the companies that are participating, and then actually apply, and in many cases interview via chat," said Tony Lee of www.careercast.com.
It is also effective because recruiters have the chance to pre-screen resumes and then target potential employees.
"The recruiter is able to seek out the attendee at the event and bring them into the booth, or connect with them, so it kind of turns the process on its head," said Lotzof.
In most cases, a virtual career fair will help you get a foot in the door -- but it won't lead to a job. you'll still need to come the company's office and close the deal in person.
"You do not have the opportunity to look an employer in the eye, shake their hand, and try and make a good first impression," said Lee.
That didn't bother Marybeth, however. She felt she made a strong first impression with her work history. The virtual career fair led first to a face-to-face interview, and then an offer. "I found that the job fair experience was simple, uncomplicated, most importantly, it got me a job!"
Virtual career fairs can often be found listed in the newspaper, or you can search for the on line. They are usually free.
