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How to Engage Virtually

The Career Center is partnering with Handshake to host virtual events for our students and alumni along with continued usage of Zoom and Brazen for additional employer-and alumni-led events.

Links to upcoming Handshake events are available on this page, or you can navigate to Handshake to search for additional virtual opportunities that are hosted on other platforms!

Virtual career fairs on Handshake give you the opportunity to meet recruiters and other employees through video sessions. You’ll learn more about employers hiring at your school, and connect with companies that will want to hire you.

Attending video sessions, instead of an in-person fair, means there is no waiting in line to talk to recruiters. When you register for a virtual career fair on Handshake, you sign up for specific session times—securing your spot to meet with the employers you’re interested in.

There are two types of virtual fair sessions:

  • Group sessions. During these sessions, you’ll join other students to meet recruiters and other employees at the organization. You’ll learn about job and internship opportunities, company culture, and more. You’ll also have an opportunity to ask your own questions. 
  • One-on-one sessions. This is an opportunity to chat directly with a recruiter or employee ambassador about jobs and internships. Recruiters that want to meet you will be able to invite you to attend virtual sessions with them.

Recruiters will likely review your profile before a session, so be sure to update your Handshake profile with your role and location preferences, as well as skills, organizations and work experience!

There are a few different ways to find virtual fairs and events for students at your school. 

  • Event recommendations. Just like job recommendations, Handshake will recommend upcoming virtual events for you based on your profile and interests.
  • Events page. To see a full list of upcoming events, click the Events tab on your Handshake dashboard. On the Events page, you’ll see filters to narrow down events by date, and whether they’re a Career Fair and Virtual. You can also search for events using keywords such as marketing or engineering. 
  • Employers you follow. You’ll be notified when the employers you follow are attending a virtual career fair at your school. If you haven’t already, start following the employers you like!
  • Employer pages. When you view an employer’s page, you’ll be able to see which upcoming events they are attending or hosting. 

When you click on a virtual fair page, you’ll see which employers will be attending and a list of their sessions and speakers. You can also filter the list of all employers by location, industry, and more. 

To claim your spot at a virtual fair, click the Register button on the top right corner of the page. When you register for a virtual fair, you’ll see a list of the sessions you can sign up for with each employer. 

This page also includes filters and search, so you can narrow down the sessions and find the ones you want to sign up for. 

When you find a session that you want to attend, click the link and you’ll see a window pop up with available times. Select the time you want to attend, and click Confirm. You may attend as many sessions as you like, as long as their schedule times don’t overlap.

After you’ve filled your session schedule, check out this post for tips on how to make a great impression with employers.

Virtual career fairs on Handshake are your ticket to connecting with employers and getting recruited this year. Log into Handshake today to update your profile and get ready for upcoming virtual career fairs!

Before the Virtual Fair:

  1. Update your Handshake profile and add an updated resume set to Visible. Also, set your Handshake profile privacy to Community.
  2. Review registered employers in Handshake and research the companies thoughtfully.
  3. Register for group or 1:1 sessions with employers you’re interested in. Remember to schedule breaks between sessions!
  4. Prepare questions, talking points and your elevator pitch. Set up a career counseling appointment to review and practice.

On the Day of the Virtual Fair:

  1. Dress professionally.
  2. Find a quiet spot and a neutral background.
  3. Log on early to test your audio and visual settings.

During Your Virtual Sessions:

  1. Maintain eye contact and practice active listening.
  2. Ask questions and request contact details.

The Day After the Fair:

  1. Email a thoughtful thank you note to the representatives that you met. Be sure to include something from your conversation to trigger their memory.
  2. View and apply to open jobs or internships. Follow up after you’ve applied.

Remember, be kind to yourself and take breaks!

When preparing for a virtual career event it is important to remember to treat it as seriously as an in-person event. Be sure to refer to these helpful tips:

  • When choosing your 1:1 or group sessions, check your availability first.
  • Consider your bandwidth – to avoid virtual fatigue, only schedule with companies high on your list.
  • Unable to make a scheduled session? Cancel it! This allows another student time to book your time slot and to be courteous of the recruiter’s time. Recruiters do notice if students are a no-show and miss their session – this could negatively impact your applications in the future.

To cancel a session, follow these steps:

  1. Log into Handshake
  2. Click Events at the top, then Fairs & choose the correct event
  3. On the right is the “Your Sessions” section
  4. Click RSVP next to the session you can no longer attend
  5. Press cancel reservation. 

Upcoming Fairs and Events

TBA SOON

 

Prepare for the Fair Recording

Although this walkthrough references the Fall 2021 Career Fair the instructions can be applied to all events hosted on the Handshake Fair Platform