Virtual Career Fair

What a virtual career fair is, and how it differs from a job fair

The two terms overlap, and organizers use them loosely. In this guide, a career fair is run by a school or career center for its own students and alumni. Employers come to meet students who may be months from graduating, so the event covers internships, entry-level roles and general career conversations, not only immediate openings. A job fair, as the companion guide describes it, is usually run by an employer, a workforce group or an association for any job seeker.

That changes the planning. A career center already knows its audience, holds data about majors and graduation years, and can prepare students in advance through advising and workshops. It also has to protect the relationship with employers it works with year after year.

• Audience

  Current students and alumni of your institution, often grouped by major, class year or program.

• Employers

  Recruiters and alumni who hire from your campus, plus new employers a career center is trying to bring in.

• Purpose

  Internships, entry-level hiring, career exploration and networking, not only a fixed set of vacancies.

• Connection to campus

  The fair can sit beside in-person fairs, graduate fairs and employer information sessions. Eventdex's university page lists graduate and careers fairs among the campus events it can manage.

  Eventdex for universities

Choosing a format

Pick the format from your students' real schedules and your employers' capacity. A fair that suits first-year students exploring careers is not the one for final-year students hunting for offers.

How students prepare

Students get more from a virtual fair when they arrive with a plan. Career centers can send the checklist below ahead of time, or teach it in a short workshop. The advice is simple and mostly the same as an in-person fair, with a few differences for video and chat.

Tell students that a virtual fair is not a place to hand over a resume and walk away. A short, prepared conversation and a follow-up message are what recruiters remember.

STUDENT PREP CHECKLIST
Before the fair
[ ] Read the employer list and pick 5 to 8 to talk to, with 2 or 3 as top choices
[ ] Read the open roles and internships of each top choice
[ ] Write a 20-second introduction: name, major, year, what you are looking for
[ ] Write 2 questions for each top-choice employer
[ ] Update your resume and check that the file opens as a PDF
[ ] Update your online profile and any portfolio or project links
[ ] Book meeting slots with employers, if the fair offers them

Technical check
[ ] Test your camera, microphone and internet connection
[ ] Use a quiet place with the camera at eye level and light in front of you
[ ] Log in 10 minutes early and find the employer booths and the chat
[ ] Have a notes document open to write down names and next steps

During
[ ] Greet by name if you can see it, give your introduction, ask your question
[ ] Keep chat messages short and polite
[ ] Write down each recruiter's name and what they asked you to do next

After
[ ] Send a short thank-you message within a day or two
[ ] Apply through the links the recruiter gave you
[ ] Tell your career center what worked and what did not

How employers prepare

Employers are your guests, and a career center that makes their participation easy gets repeat visits. Send an employer briefing, give them a place to see the booth before the fair, and tell them how many students to expect if you know.

EMPLOYER PREP CHECKLIST FOR A VIRTUAL CAREER FAIR
Before the fair
[ ] Choose the roles to promote: internships, entry-level roles, co-ops, and the majors and skills each wants
[ ] Set up the booth: logo, banner, short company description, links to each role
[ ] Add documents students will want: role descriptions, application steps, deadlines
[ ] Pick recruiters, plus an alum or a recent hire who can speak about the first year
[ ] Decide which meeting slots to offer, and how long each lasts
[ ] Attend the employer practice session

Technical check
[ ] Test each recruiter's camera, microphone and connection
[ ] Decide who answers chat and who takes video conversations

During
[ ] Greet students by name and ask what they are studying and what they are looking for
[ ] Explain the application process and deadlines clearly
[ ] Take short notes on each student for follow-up

After
[ ] Send the next step to each student you spoke with within a few days
[ ] Give your career center feedback on the fair and the candidates

Scheduling meetings and matching students to employers

Scheduled meetings give each student a few conversations that matter and give each employer a list of students who chose them. Open browsing still has a place, but it should be a supplement.

What the tools do matters. A virtual event platform should let students request, reschedule or cancel appointments, remind both sides, and run the meeting by video with screen share for a portfolio. Eventdex's virtual meeting page lists appointment requests, rescheduling and cancellation, screen share, meeting recording, note-taking and meeting ratings. Its business matchmaking page describes AI matching from stated preferences, with scheduled 1:1 meetings, and its FAQ lists job and hiring events, with recruiters meeting candidates, among its use cases.

1. 1

   Collect preferences at registration

   Ask students for major, class year, what they are looking for and which employers interest them. Ask employers for the majors and roles they want.

   Business matchmaking app
2. 2

   Open meeting requests early

   Let students book before the live window, and set a limit per student so one student cannot fill every slot.

3. 3

   Keep a few slots free

   Hold some time for students who register late or decide on the day.

4. 4

   Send reminders

   Remind both sides the day before and an hour before, with the link and how to cancel.

   Virtual meeting app
5. 5

   Handle no-shows

   Set a wait time, such as a few minutes, and release the slot after it.

Make the fair accessible

A virtual fair removes some barriers, such as travel, and adds others. Plan for accessibility from the first week, not the last. Check the requirements that apply to your institution, because rules vary by place; your campus disability services office can advise.

• Captions and transcripts

  Plan live captions for any presentation, and a transcript or notes for recorded sessions. Tell students how to request an accommodation.

• Keyboard and screen reader use

  Test the platform with a keyboard and a screen reader before the fair, and ask the vendor what it supports.

• Choices in how to take part

  Offer text chat as well as video, so students who cannot or prefer not to be on camera can still speak with recruiters.

• Time zones and schedules

  State times in the fair's time zone and a second one, and use recordings or open booths for students who work or live elsewhere.

• A person to ask

  Name a contact for help before and during the fair.

Measure the results

Choose measures before the fair, so you can compare years. A career center usually reports to employers, to its own leadership and sometimes to the students' academic departments, so pick measures each of them can follow.

Eventdex's university page mentions event insights and attendee feedback, and the matchmaking page describes reports and meeting ratings. Whatever tool you use, keep the measures simple and describe how you count them.