By Dr. Jarrod Sadulski
Faculty Member, Criminal Justice
On May 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET, our University will hold its Nationwide Virtual Career Fair, which is open to the current students and alumni of American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU), as well as the public. This online event enables participants to gain insight about companies from recruiters by asking questions during live chats. It also enables participants to share their resumes and directly apply for jobs.
As an alumnus who earned my master’s degree at AMU, virtual career fairs proved helpful by enabling me to network with recruiters in real time. I could also ask questions to a significant amount of these recruiters in a short amount of time.
Related link: How Remote Work Has Changed Today’s Recruiting Industry
Preparation Is Key for a Virtual Career Fair
When I decided to attend our Virtual Career Fair, I found that preparation was very important. I registered for this event in advance so that I wouldn’t need to rush to register for it at the last minute.
During the registration process, I was able to see which employers had registered to attend the Virtual Career Fair. This knowledge enabled me to thoroughly research their organizations before the event, and I reviewed their websites to learn everything that I could about those companies.
I also found it useful to prepare a robust and well-written resume before the Virtual Career Fair. There are many resume builders and templates available to college students and alumni; our Career Services department also provides resume reviews to AMU/APU students and alumni.
For this event, I created different resumes that were tailored around the requirements of specific employers instead of using just one resume. I ensured that the skills listed on my resume matched what the prospective employer had listed as qualifications for jobs in which I was interested.
Related link: The Great Resignation and Resumes in Today’s Job Market
Attending the Virtual Career Fair
During the Virtual Career Fair, I asked recruiters several questions to gain information that was not on their websites. As a result, I gained a deeper understanding of the companies and the available opportunities they had.
Asking specific questions about a particular employer based on my previous research displayed that I was genuinely interested in learning more about those organizations. I also found it helpful to ask recruiters what their hiring process was like and how I could reach the recruiter after the Virtual Career Fair.
Overall, the Virtual Career Fair is a great way for participants to gain more in-depth knowledge about companies through their recruiters. But it should be noted that there is no guarantee of a job offer for participants who attend this event.
However, a Virtual Career Fair offers a useful opportunity to not only hear more about companies, but to gain insight into different career fields. It’s also a good chance to practice your elevator pitch when you’re speaking to recruiters. Over the course of my career, I have found that speaking with different recruiters over the years helped me develop more confidence in speaking about my background and experience.
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