Virtual events with employers are continuing! Some of these events look like career fairs while others are talks on a specific topic from employers or case studies. Take a look now for what events you want to attend and make note of them (and their registration requirements) on your calendar. You can find events like these on Handshake, LinkedIn, and other websites as well as through the EMP Career Coach Alerts on MS Teams.
Here are four ways to prepare for virtual events. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but ones we’ve observed students may forget about.
Register in advance & do a tech check.
Fully registering in advance is important to get the complete information you need for the event. Several virtual events allow students to register and make appointments with employers before the actual date of the event. Not following registration details puts you at a disadvantage for connecting with employers of interest to you. (Note: when making appointments with employers, notice what requirements they have. If they say they do not sponsor, and you are an international student please do not sign up for an appointment slot.)
Download the event’s technology and make sure it’s working for you in advance of the event. You don’t want to miss out on a conversation or seem unprepared because a tech update was required.
Research the employer and/or attendees.
This is a BIG one and one of the best ways to make a positive impression at an employer event. Here’s a previous blog post about preparing for career fairs. The second point focuses on research in advance. I won’t reiterate the entire section here, but it’s imperative you do research in advance. Employers share they can easily tell when a student knows nothing about them or has only read their website 30 seconds before interacting. For you to be able to ask high quality questions that establish your credibility with the employer, research is required.
Prepare to chat with employers (on video or in the chat function)
At many events you’ll have the opportunity to chat with an individual or in a group setting. It’s a great opportunity to connect and for the host to learn more about you. What do you want to say about yourself? How will you introduce yourself? Here are a couple of resources to get you started.
- introducing yourself online workshop (less then 20 minutes)
- how to prep with the chat function
Test out how you engage on video.
Many events will have the opportunity for you to participate with your video camera on. We suggest you test out your environment and how you physically intereact with the camera so you can make adjustments needed ahead of the event.
- Choose a spot to interact where you’ll be the least distracted. You want to show you’re engaged with the conversation or presentation. This may mean choosing a place further away from spaces your roommates may be in, turning off notifications on your phone and computer, and limiting other distractions.
- Conduct a few practice sessions to understand how you physically interact with the camera. This may be recording a conversation you have with a Career Coach or a peer. It could be simply recording yourself pretending to have a conversation. Review the recording and see if there is anything about your interaction you want to change.
- do you look at the person talking to you for a majority of the conversation?
- do you do anything that is distracting to the viewer?
- what are the ways you show you’re engaged in the conversation?
Use these four ways to increase your confidence for virtual events with employers! Best wishes to you in making good connections with employers of interest to you. One final reminder — follow-up after events, whether virtual or in-person, is important. If you aren’t sure how to do that well, check out this blog post.
