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5 Pro Tips for Getting the Most Out of a Virtual Job Fair

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Across the U.S., more companies are incorporating virtual job fairs and events into their hiring strategies.

Virtual job fairs give recruiters and job seekers a chance to interact in a virtual environment.

These scheduled events take place at a specific time and allow hiring managers to meet candidates face to face. Some recruiters may also use these virtual events to interview job seekers and offer jobs on the spot.

Virtual job fairs often involve a combination of teleconferencing (such as Zoom), chat rooms, online presentations, webcasts, and opportunities to browse companies’ virtual booths.

With online career expos becoming an increasingly popular option, savvy job seekers need to know how to make the most of a virtual hiring experience.

Read on to learn how to leave a lasting impression and land your next job at a virtual job fair.


Tip 1: Prepare Your Resume and Profile
Give yourself plenty of time to update your resume. If possible, prepare various versions of your resume customized for different industries and employers. Check for typos and have someone else also review your resume beforehand.

Also update your LinkedIn profile. Make sure it accurately reflects your past jobs, titles, and accomplishments. Be sure to check it for spelling and grammar mistakes.

Tip 2: Research Employers in Advance
Find out which companies will be participating in the virtual job fair. Then do your research. Look for the types of jobs they’re hiring for. Also learn the keywords they use. You can make a lasting impression with hiring managers by using the keywords and phrases you find in their messaging.

Studying up on a company you’re interested in also boosts your confidence when interacting with hiring managers. You’ll have greater insight into the company and know what types of questions to ask.

Tip 3: Practice Your Pitch
Practice introducing yourself to recruiters. Be sure to share what positions you’re seeking, what interests you about the company, and how your past experiences make you a great candidate.

Hiring managers often look for candidates who are curious. To stand out from other job seekers, prepare a handful of different questions you’d like to ask each company.

Tip 4: Test Your Tech
A couple of days before the job fair, make sure your device is updated with the necessary software. Get your camera set up for ideal lighting. Do a trial run with all your tech and gear to make sure everything goes smoothly.

Tip 5: Follow-Up and Expand Your Network
Don’t wait for recruiters to reach out to you after the virtual job fair. Be the first to initiate follow-up.

Email the companies you’d like to work for, mentioning the name of the hiring manager you spoke with and the position you’re seeking.

You can also reach out to recruiters on LinkedIn. Remind them of the conversation you had with them and the role you’d like to apply for. Then thank them for their time and consideration.

Follow these tips, and you’ll have a more seamless virtual experience and set yourself up to stand out from other job seekers.

How to Get a Job After a Big Career Gap: 10 Expert Tips

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Whether you were caring for an ailing family member, raising children, or traveling the world, getting employed after a gap in your resume can be a struggle. However, a few tips can help get you hired quickly.

Advice for Career Gaps

What is one tip on how to get a job after a big career gap?

To help you get employed after a break in your career, we asked recruiters and HR professionals this question for their insights. From reaching out to recruiters to starting with part-time employment, there are several things you can do today to improve your chances of jumpstarting your career after a long pause.

Here are 10 strategies that can help you stand out even with a big career gap:

  • Reach Out to Recruiters
  • Map Out Your Career
  • Utilize Your Cover Letter
  • Add Volunteer Experience
  • Focus on New Skills You Acquired
  • Network, Network, Network
  • Keep Up With Your Industry
  • Show Continued Growth
  • Start With Part-Time Employment
  • Explain the Gap

Reach Out to Recruiters

While it might be scary to dive back into the working world after taking a break, the one thing that you can do is be honest. This career break is more useful than you might initially assess. Update your CV or resume and be sure to add any new skills that you acquired — and be transparent about taking a break, as well.

Even though this time wasn’t spent on your career, you did spend it doing something to better yourself. There’s plenty that you’ve learned in the gap. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to recruiting platforms as they might be able to help match you easier with employers that will understand the gap. Just make sure all the information you hand off is accurate and updated.

Jon Schneider, Recruiterie

Map Out Your Career

Create a career road map to outline your transferable skills and gaps for your desired career. Use this road map to guide your next moves, whether that be getting a new certification, degree or taking an internship to learn a new tangible skill to fill any gaps you may have in your resume. By taking time to advance your knowledge and skillsets, you can add value to yourself and the company you wish to work for.

Rronniba Pemberton, Markitors

Utilize Your Cover Letter

Explain in your cover letter the reason for your big career gap. Did you take time to travel the world? Were you dealing with family members? Don’t shy away from this career gap, but rather lean into it and explain why you took some time off. Add what you learned from that time, so it’s seen as a benefit, not just a lack of traditional work. Doing so will help diffuse any questions that the employer may have about your work gap. Address them without fear and your employer will understand.

Darren Litt, MarketerHire

Add Volunteer Experience

Volunteer first. Join some professional groups. Attend some professional training sessions. Find ways to re-engage and then showcase these on your resume under a section on professional development. Make the most recent job a sabbatical and add a sentence as to why you took time off (i.e., caring for an elderly parent, stay-at-home parent, etc.).

Jennifer Holtz, Second Wind Career Strategies

Focus on New Skills You Acquired

Orient your resume, applications, and interview responses to focus on what you have learned during the career gap. It could be a new skill that you may have picked up or gained some new insight on your career — whatever it is, make that the highlight of your interactions, written or verbal. The goal is to indicate how you have managed to extract value from what is normally considered an obstacle. Be authentic in this response, and do not overshare.

Joe Flanagan, VelvetJobs

Network, Network, Network

Having a large career gap can seem like a huge problem when you are ready to re-enter the workforce, but it’s not the end of the world. Similar to when you first entered the workforce, you had to network. As you re-enter the workforce with a large career gap, networking will be key to finding a new position. Go hard with the networking efforts, and you will find a new position in no time.

Chris Cronin, KITANICA

Keep Up With Your Industry

No matter what your field of expertise is if you want to stay relevant and well-informed, familiarize yourself with current trends in your industry. This could be anything from attending conferences and virtual events to picking the brains of an acquaintance who is well established in your field. Not only does this prepare you for transitioning into a new role, but it can also help shed some light on where your skills are lacking and what you need to do to bridge the gap.

Riley Beam, Douglas R. Beam, P.A.

Show Continued Growth

Although you may have a large career gap, that doesn’t mean you cannot continue learning and growing professionally. As such, take advantage of the time you are not working by obtaining professional certificates within your profession. Whether it’s a technical, qualitative, or quantitative certificate, showing hiring managers that you are continuing to grow — even in the midst of a career gap — will only strengthen your chances of being hired.

Lori Price, PixieLane

Start With Part-Time Employment

There are usually more part-time positions available than salary or full-time. Look for part-time gigs that can ease you back into the career field. This way, you are able to quickly learn new systems, tools, and protocols without getting overwhelmed with 40-hour weeks. It is a great time to re-engage with your profession and get to know it again.

Tamara Mayne, Brooklyn Candle Studio

Explain the Gap

As a hiring manager, when I see career gaps or someone who jumps from job to job, it makes me nervous about hiring that candidate. I have seen a few resumes lately that have added an asterisk that explains the gap. Sometimes those jobs are contractor jobs that expire after a certain period of time. I would not have known that if I didn’t see it on a resume. I think it’s a great thing to add to the resume. It might prevent a hiring manager from passing over you as a candidate if you have that explanation presented.

Shelbey Grimes, Trinity Air Medical

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How To Respond To a LinkedIn Recruiter: 9 Tips From Recruiters

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Tips from LinkedIn Recruiters

To help job seekers with responding to a LinkedIn recruiting message, we asked HR professionals and business recruiters this question for their best insights. From starting with gratitude to asking for more information, there are several strategies that may help you make a good impression in your response to a recruiter.

Here are nine tips on how to respond to a LinkedIn recruiter:

  • Show Interest in the Role
  • Respond Professionally
  • Start With Gratitude
  • Make a Connection
  • Be Quick and Proactive
  • Don’t Burn Bridges
  • Always Respond
  • Ask for More Information
  • Send in Your Resume

Show Interest in the Role
Of course, the answer to this question depends on whether you are interested in working for the company the recruiter is representing or not! Assuming you are interested in learning more about the position, I would recommend responding with a reply that is upbeat, curious, and proposes next steps. By showing the recruiter that you are interested in the role and are ready to hop on a call, your chances of scoring an interview are instantly higher.

Eli Patashnik, iFax

Respond Professionally
If you have been approached for a job opportunity on LinkedIn, it means your activity on the platform is getting noticed. That is something to be celebrated! Make sure to read their message and, if you’re interested, respond quickly and professionally. Your recruiter will want to connect with you to ensure you’re a good cultural fit for the company, so you can schedule an initial interview to get to know the potential employer better and ask details about the job opportunity.

Jon Schneider, Recruiterie

Start With Gratitude
Responding to recruiters on LinkedIn is a balancing act, especially considering the specific circumstances that you are under. The best thing to do, though, is to start with gratitude. Thank them for reaching out and considering you for the current role, or compliment the company in some way. You really only have this one shot to make a lasting good impression about your character and who you are as a person. Starting with gratitude can also help create a fluid conversation, even if you aren’t necessarily looking for a job or interested in that role. This can also help if you ever did need to find a new opportunity, you might be able to reach back out to them.

Ryan Nouis, TruPath

Make a Connection
When a recruiter reaches out on LinkedIn, the first thing to do is actually respond. Whether or not you might be interested in the position, a simple thank you and an honest statement of where you’re at in your career goes a long way. I have seen great connections pay dividends down the road either when that same recruiter is sourcing for another opportunity and thinks of you or when you are thinking about changing roles. Good connections are priceless.

Jenn Christie, Markitors

Be Quick and Proactive
If you’re interested, express it by responding as soon as you can. You can ask more about the position, company and other necessary details. It’s also important to include faster ways to contact you, perhaps via email or phone number. If you aren’t interested, you can express your gratitude and maybe recommend a potential lead for them. Being able to respond to recruiters will also help you build your network.

Joe Flanagan, VelvetJobs

Don’t Burn Bridges
Whether you love your current employer or simply feel the open role doesn’t fit what you’re looking for, the last thing you want to do is burn down a bridge. Regardless of why you are disinterested, recruiter engagement is an excellent opportunity to build connections with the right person who, by the way, may potentially win you a dream job in the future. Be sure to sincerely thank the recruiter and courteously explain why you’re passing. Then feel free to pitch that you’d like them to get in touch when another opportunity that might better fit your picture perfect career path presents itself. Explain your ideal role and the type of work you’d love to be alerted to in the future. Above all, avoid automated responses.

Joel Cheesman, Poach

Always Respond
It’s important to respond as soon as possible. Ask the recruiter for more information and make sure to secure either a call or a meeting as a next step. If you are not interested in the offer, respond anyway. Remember to be polite and express the reason why you are not interested in pursuing the job offer. It would be very helpful to schedule a call to discuss the type of opportunities you are interested in and let the recruiter get to know you a bit better. If you make a good impression, they might keep you in mind for future job opportunities. Whether you are interested in the job offer or not, it is in your benefit to build relationships with recruiters. You never know who can lead you to the job of your dreams.

Jessica Ulloa, MyPerfectResume

Ask for More Information
Even if you think you’re not interested, always respond to a recruiter by asking about the job and the company. Many folks who were happy with their current position have been offered jobs that are 3x better on LinkedIn. It never hurts to interview. At a minimum, you are keeping your interview skills sharp. On the other hand, you may uncover a fabulous hidden opportunity! After a phone or Zoom interview, if you’re not interested, tell the recruiter, “If I hear of someone who is qualified, I’’ll give them your name.”

Joni Holderman, Thrive! Resumes

Send in Your Resume
I think that it is always smart to send them your resume, cover letters, and letters of recommendation. That way they have your information on file, and if a great opportunity comes their way that they may think you are a great fit, you are already in their database. If you are not looking for a new role, it is still good to have the connection in your back pocket.

Jason Wong, Doe Lashes

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How to Create Personal Career Goals With 11 Examples Within Small Businesses

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What are your career goals, and why? How can someone effectively create a personal career goal for themselves?
To help business professionals develop career goals, we asked business leaders and organization founders this question for their best advice. From finding a mentor to prioritizing meaningful work, there are several suggestions that may help you catalyze your career for years to come.

Personal Career Goals

Here are 11 ways to create personal career goals in a small business:

  • Find a Mentor
  • Clarify the “Why”
  • Focus on the 80/20 Rule
  • Do What You Love
  • Embrace Fear
  • Accept That Goals Change
  • Expand on Past Goals
  • Develop Your Network
  • Set Many Small Goals
  • Value Meaningful Work
  • Seek Growth Opportunities

Find a Mentor
My career goals are to grow my company so that it is eventually acquired by a large beverage company. I hope to lead this company to grow substantially and employ many people. Someone can effectively create a personal career goal for themselves by getting a mentor who has accomplished similar tasks themselves. You can utilize this mentor to guide you on your personal career goal path and work to achieve your goals.

Lauren Picasso, Cure Hydration

Clarify the “Why”
Start with your personal vision in mind. If you aren’t clear on your vision, or your “why”, then setting personal career goals can be difficult. Once you clearly see your future state, focus on what that looks like, what are you doing, where are you standing, and what are you wearing once you get there. I might not have the complete roadmap to get there, but I focus on the first 3 steps. When I set the goal to transition into operations, I saw myself leading a small business and running the operations. I didn’t know when or who, but in due time, focusing on the next three steps, I found my way to my dream role.

Jenn Christie, Markitors

Focus on the 80/20 Rule
My primary goal for 2021 is to focus on the 80/20 rule when it comes to my work and time. The 20% of my time and energy that accomplishes 80% of the results in my business is where I want to focus my attention. I want to focus on perfecting my current skill set rather than trying to wear every hat in my business. My goal is to become a better entrepreneur by being a better manager and knowing what to get off my plate. I want my vision for my business and for myself in 2021 to be so large that I will only be able to accomplish it with the help of other people. I want to include more people in my business by giving them key responsibilities and autonomy to make decisions.

Alexander Shute, FaithGiant

Do What You Love
My career goal has always been to do something I love and through that, I will find my passion. It doesn’t matter if it is working solo or managing a team, I have always followed my heart when it comes to my career. If something didn’t feel right, I would move on to the next opportunity. I guess that is how I got to where I am today, having started my hospitality-based business.

I work for myself and I love what I do, which makes it easy for me to give my all. Now, my business goals are to continue to grow, continue to learn, and continue to help my clients grow their businesses. My advice to someone looking to create a career goal for themselves is to start writing down what it is you love to do. Then ask yourself what it is you need to be able to do every day to get the most out of it. Ask yourself what will make you feel your best and work towards that in all aspects of your career.

Jen Bee, Restaurant Results Coach

Embrace Fear
Once you hit lifelong goals that you have set for yourself, it’s another jump to finding motivation for another. A career goal I have is to become comfortable with acknowledging any fear I have within my life because your career and life should go hand in hand. Becoming fearless is a trait I admire in many people. I want to continue to understand that the role of fear is to warn and protect, not to scare and prevent. Some advice I have for creating a personal goal is to widen your perspective. When you are curious about the world around you and ask questions to understand things, you are automatically expanding your perspective and horizons at the same time.

Connor MacDonald, Ridge

Accept That Goals Change
After college, I was working as a product manager at a Big 4 company and I thought that was my dream. But now, I own and operate a wonderful business that continues to grow every year. To me, that’s my new career goal. While career goals are extremely important, when you’re creating your personal plans, keep in mind that some things may change. As time goes on, you are going to learn about new opportunities that weren’t available to you in the past. You’ll develop new skills and decide you might be better suited in other positions.

Tom Mumford, Undergrads

Expand on Past Goals
When you’re hoping to create a personal career goal for yourself, the first thing you may want to do is look at your past goals. Were you able to achieve them? If so, can you expand upon them to create a goal along the same vein? Often, looking at the successes of our past can help us see our strengths, therefore enabling us to set more attainable goals.

Greg Gillman, MuteSix

Develop Your Network
Networking is not only imperative for building relationships and perhaps collaborations down the line, but it is an important building block for brand recognition. That’s why one of my career goals has always been to network as if my life depended on it! The more leaders you can connect with, the more opportunities you have to discuss your brand and bring up topics and ideas that will make you (and your company) memorable. In this way, when they are in need of a product or a service that relates to your business, your brand will immediately jump to mind. This is basically PR 101 but a true goal to be accomplished with pride and ingenuity.

Heidi Robinson, Because Market

Set Many Small Goals
Everyone tells you to think big. The trouble with “big” is that it is usually vague. Success comes from methodically focusing on specific objectives. For example, if you want to be a CHRO, don’t waste time on vague conversations about “getting a seat at the table.” Instead, learn to read a balance sheet. Perfect your project management skills. Become tech-savvy. Polish your public speaking. Pick one thing that will add value to you and your organization, learn it, and repeat. Before long, you’ll not only have your seat at the table, you’ll have something meaningful to say.

Tim Toterhi, Plotline Leadership

Value Meaningful Work
At this moment, my biggest career goal is to create the best financial comparison website in all of Denmark. I want to make all our comparisons and content so incredibly valuable, that there is simply no way it is not the best. Of course, I have monetary goals as well, but I firmly believe that goals have to be meaningful to you. By focusing on something meaningful to you that is at the same time valuable to others, the money will follow, too.

Paw Vej, Financer.com

Seek Growth Opportunities
One of my career goals has always been to build a stellar, high-quality team. One of the best ways to attract top talent to your company is by offering the opportunity for growth. Many talented professionals turn down lucrative positions all the time because they just can’t see a clear path to learn, grow, and even move up within the company. As we all know, employee retention is at an all-time low. Therefore, it’s more important than ever to offer continued training, promotions from within, and even the availability to move to a completely different department that may better fit an employee’s skill set.

Travis Killian, Everlasting Comfort

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How New College Graduates Can Choose Their First Job

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What is one tip for a fresh college graduate entering into the working world to go about choosing their first job?
Walking across the stage, hearing your name, getting your diploma–there’s nothing like those moments after spending four years of working so hard. However, the next step after that can feel just as daunting. Where do you go next?
To help college graduates with choosing their first job, we asked recent college graduates and business leaders this question for their best insights. From creating realistic expectations to exploring all possible interests, there are several tips that may help you pick the right job right after graduation.

How New College Graduates Can Choose Their First Job

Here are nine strategies new college graduates can use to choose their first job:

  • Take Advantage of a Transition Period
  • Explore Possible Interests
  • Take an Assessment
  • Use Your Life Experience
  • Pick Based on the Boss
  • Research into Smaller Corporations
  • Make Your Application Stand Out
  • Ask the Right Questions
  • Create Realistic Expectations

Take Advantage of a Transition Period
As a fresh college graduate myself, I understand the weight that comes with choosing your first job. I’ve received a lot of advice on this topic ranging from “beware of pigeonholing” to “go travel the world.” From all my conversations, my best piece of advice would be to expand your options. The sky’s the limit! I chose to take a post-graduation summer internship that allows me to continue to build my skill set while also providing me with a much-needed transition period between being a full-time student and a full-time employee. During this transition period, I am expanding my career options through research and personal growth with the goal that when my internship is complete, I will have multiple opportunities within reach.

Adrian James, Markitors

Explore Possible Interests
My advice to fresh college graduates is to be open to working multiple jobs and exploring various industries at the beginning of their careers. First, focus on developing new skills and exploring your interests and possibilities. Ultimately, when the right time comes, you will have the knowledge and experience to make a conscious decision of which path you want to pursue in the long term. It is so valuable to look outside of the box and see your career as a long and varied journey filled with lots of opportunities and lessons. Don’t get stuck on the idea of having to find the ultimate high-paying job straight out of college. Take your time, get your hands dirty, and make sure you grow, learn, and evolve with every opportunity.

Kelli Lane, Genexa

Take an Assessment
Using an assessment is a great way to start your career, for several reasons. One: If you use an assessment that has gathered data on lots of jobs and careers, it can compare your profile to a job profile to make sure it’s a good match for your traits, preferences, and tendencies. Enjoyment-Performance Theory predicts that people whose personal profiles are a 75% or higher match to the elements of their job will be 3x more successful and satisfied in that job. A good assessment will generate a list of careers that would be a great fit for you, helping you narrow down your search and set yourself up for a career that you’ll love for years to come. Two: It helps you understand your own strengths and weaknesses better, which helps you articulate them better – and more confidently – in job interviews. It’s a great feeling to be able to say with confidence, “that’s one of the areas I’m still working on…but I can more than make up for it by leveraging these areas that I’m strong in…”

Jinnie Lee Schmid, Change Navigators

Use Your Life Experience
Don’t be married to your original life plan. Be open to wherever life is leading you. I probably would have entered the corporate workforce immediately after school instead of bringing my product to market if it hadn’t been for a twist of fate where I found myself, a perpetually hungry, 20-something D1 Athlete at Boston University, newly diagnosed with Celiac disease and craving dessert. It was the experience of realizing a problem I had solved for myself, the problem of not being able to indulge due to dietary restrictions and athletic goals, was also a problem I could for countless others that ultimately made me become an entrepreneur. I chose to actively follow this new path, but I allowed that twist of fate to guide me.

Rachel Geicke, Snow Monkey

Pick Based on the Boss
People typically look for the most money and loftiest title at the best company. That’s fine, but don’t discount the importance of having a great manager. Employees, particularly those new to the workforce, tend to emulate the behaviors of their leaders. So, make sure you are learning the right things. The right manager can turbocharge your career growth. The wrong one can lead you down a dead end.

Tim Toterhi, Plotline Leadership

Research into Smaller Corporations
One of the biggest mistakes new college graduates make is focusing on salary as the main point when being offered jobs. This can lead to not taking an offer that ultimately might have been better for you because it wasn’t offering enough money, or worse yet accepting one with too much responsibility and hours underpaid for your level of experience. Instead, work at finding positions where both quality time spent there will be satisfying as well as opportunities to grow in their career–these are often found more within smaller companies than larger ones so don’t rule out those just based on size.

Altay Gursel, Metriculum

Make Your Application Stand Out
As a fresh graduate, you need to understand you are not the only one in need of a job. Don’t sit around hoping a job will walk up to you after sending one application. Be persistent with your application letters and ensure you follow up with companies. Additionally, there would be many job-seeking applicants like you, so you need to try your best to be unique. Don’t use a generic CV format; personalize your resume as much as you can while highlighting your strengths and skills.

Hays Bailey, SHEQSY

Ask The Right Questions
Graduating from college and beginning my job search in the midst of a pandemic was anything but stress-free. However, asking the right questions about potential future employers throughout the interview process made the job search easier. You should ensure that you ask the interviewers about the company culture. This will enable you to find out if you are a right fit for the company, and if the company is a fit for you, even in a video interview. There is nothing worse than joining a team that you do not mesh well with.

Rachel Cohen, Red Clover

Create Realistic Expectations
Set realistic expectations because some things don’t always go according to plan. Adulting is a challenging world for fresh graduates. You may not always land your dream job at first try or directly get into your dream company. Brace yourself with the job-hunting competition and fluctuating market value of an entry-level employee; some may have higher salaries.

Joe Flanagan, VelvetJobs

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