Just as it is important to prepare for an in-person interview and/or career fair, it is also important for job seekers to prepare for online career fairs. Online career fair interviews are generally conducted within a short timeframe, which means job seekers must quickly make positive impressions with prospective employers.
Here are some top tips to help you prepare for an online career fair interview:
1. Update Your Resume&nbsp;&ndash; Ensure that your resume is easy-to-read, concise, and up-to-date with recent employment experience and added skills and activities. Additionally, have an electronic version ready to submit to recruiters (in PDF form to avoid digital re-formatting concerns).
2. Research the Companies&nbsp;&ndash; Prior to the career fair, access the list of employers and research to determine which interest you. Learn as much as you can about these companies and their open job positions, including accessing their websites and social media. Think of questions you&rsquo;ll want to ask and the skills you have that align with the companies and the open positions. This will save valuable interview time and help you appear better prepared.
3. Create a Calendar Reminder&nbsp;&ndash; Sometimes when you don&rsquo;t have to travel anywhere, an online event can slip your mind. Set multiple calendar reminders, both days and hours before the event begins. Keep in mind any differences in time zone and adjust accordingly. You can attend our career expo on any device with an internet connection, including your smart phone.
4. Prepare Your Pitch &ndash;&nbsp;Your elevator pitch is important, so spend time determining how you will introduce yourself. Try to include your education, skills, and future goals. This should still be short and to the point, addressing the job you are seeking, why you would be a good fit, and how hiring you would benefit the company.&nbsp;&nbsp;
5. Dress Professionally&nbsp;&ndash; Although recruiters won&rsquo;t be able to see you, dressing as though you are in a live interview will help boost your confidence and help you focus.
6. Test Your Technology and Environment&nbsp;&ndash; In addition to preparing your resume, ensure your Internet connection is functioning properly and that the environment is distraction-free. This means trying out the exact location you plan to be for the interview.
7. Drop Off Resumes and Leave a Note&nbsp;&ndash; If &ldquo;lines&rdquo; become long, we provide an option to drop off your resume and leave a note for a company. Take advantage of this feature and make sure you use your elevator pitch as part of the note. All notes and resumes are provided to the employers at the end of the event.
8. Request Next Steps and Contact Information&nbsp;&ndash; As you conclude your interview, ask about next steps in the process and how you can stay in touch. Some companies do have policies about providing their individual information, so don&rsquo;t be offended if they cannot share it with you.
9. Send a Thank You&nbsp;&ndash; If a recruiter does provide you with contact information, or you&rsquo;re able to find it online, be sure to follow-up as soon as possible with a thank you note/email to express your gratitude and further express your interest. This also serves as a good time to remind the recruiter about who you are and your qualifications, as recruiters meet many candidates at online career events. Even if a job is not currently open, a thank you note is usually remembered and noted with your information.
Contributions to this blog were made by Andra&eacute;a LaVant of Solutions Marketing Group.&nbsp;

Prepare for online career fairs with these top tips: update your resume, research companies, and test your tech.

How Job Seekers Can Prepare for an Online Career Fair

While a good resume and cover letter can open the door to a job opportunity, a strong interview is often the most significant step in the hiring process. Job seekers that truly desire to land a job should move beyond interview basics, such as dressing professionally and arriving early for an interview, to implementing techniques that will set them apart from other applicants.
Here are 5 ways you can make a lasting positive impression at a job interview:
1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Refer to your resume and cover letter&nbsp;&ndash; Most employers receive numerous resumes and cover letters for job openings. While they may have selected you for an interview, this doesn&rsquo;t mean they will remember everything about you. Use the interview as a time to refer to information on your resume, such as work history or major accomplishments, to help refresh interviewers&rsquo; memories. Then elaborate on a few of your more significant roles and achievements, even explaining how these experiences relate to the job for which you&rsquo;re interviewing.
2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Do your research and apply it&nbsp;&ndash; While it&rsquo;s important to conduct research about an employer to understand their history, successes and challenges, doing the research and talking about the information you learned is simply a first step in ensuring interview success. It&rsquo;s even more important for you to demonstrate that you can apply that research. For example, if you&rsquo;ve found that the employer is experiencing a consistent problem, come up with ideas for how you&rsquo;d plan to solve it. Perhaps they&rsquo;ve released a new service or product. Share how you&rsquo;d market it or improve existing services. Ultimately the goal is to show that you&rsquo;ve already considered how you can make a difference as an employee.
3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Prepare questions and answers&nbsp;&ndash; The interview is the time for both you and an employer to determine if you are a good match for one another. As the job seeker, this means you should be prepared with both questions and answers to demonstrate your interest in the position and how much you fit the role. Ask very specific, meaningful questions relating to things discussed in the interview. You can also ask about articles you&rsquo;ve read about the employer or industry insights, as this is another way to demonstrate that you&rsquo;ve done your research.
In addition to developing questions to ask the employer, prepare answers to common interview questions. This will help develop your confidence and eliminate silence or long pauses during the interview. While interviewers may not ask the exact questions you prepare answers for, it&rsquo;s likely you can apply the answers you&rsquo;ve prepared to similar questions they ask.
4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Decide if and how you&rsquo;ll disclose a disability&nbsp;&ndash; If you have a disability, discussing it during the hiring process or after being employed is a personal choice and is not a required. However, it can be beneficial if sharing details about your disability would help a potential employer make reasonable accommodations to improve the hiring process or help you better perform the job functions. Remember that you can disclose a disability at any time, even during an interview. If sharing during an interview, it&rsquo;s important to also remain focused on demonstrating how you are qualified to perform the essential job requirements.
5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Don&rsquo;t forget to say thank you&nbsp;&ndash; Offering appreciation at the end of an interview isn&rsquo;t enough to help you make a lasting impression with an employer. Sending a &ldquo;thank you&rdquo; shortly after is a great way to show your continued interest in a position and even to address or follow-up on matters from the interview. For example, if you&rsquo;ve thought more about a question that you didn&rsquo;t have a strong answer for during the interview, share your answer in the thank you note. Or, simply reiterate why you feel you are the ideal fit for the position. Although written notes are not very common, sending both an email immediately following the interview and a written note in the mail soon after will certainly set you apart from other applicants.
Making a lasting impression at an interview takes preparation and practice but implementing these tips can definitely help you land the job you desire. For more tips on how to make a lasting impression at a job interview,&nbsp;contact the CareerCircle team.
Contributions to this blog were made by Andra&eacute;a LaVant of Solutions Marketing Group.&nbsp;

Stand out in job interviews with these 5 tips to make a lasting impression and boost your chances of success.

5 Ways You Can Make a Lasting Positive Impression at a Job Interview

8 Simple Tips and Tricks To Help Land Your Next Job From applications to r&eacute;sum&eacute;s to interviews, it can feel overwhelming to know how to communicate to potential employers that you are the right candidate for their job opening. 
Luckily, there are simple ways to make your voice stand out from the crowd and make a great impression on a hiring manager. With that in mind, here are our top 8 simple tips and tricks to help land your next job. 
Have a professional email address. Think of your email address as an extension of your resume. Receiving a job application and cover letter from machoman66@email.com can send the wrong impression to recruiters. Instead, use an email based on your name so recruiters can easily find your email in their inbox. Use keywords from the job description in your r&eacute;sum&eacute;. Many recruiters use scanning software to filter through applications. These softwares look for keywords that also appear in the job description. Tweaking your r&eacute;sum&eacute; to include these keywords can help your application reach the next phase. Share your unique perspective. When writing your cover letter, include what perspectives you have that make you unique. For example, highlighting that you are a veteran can communicate that you are punctual, dedicated, and a team player. Create a stand-out LinkedIn profile. More often than not, recruiters turn to social media to learn more about job candidates. Your LinkedIn profile, the main social networking site for professionals, should be up-to-date with clean photos and all relevant job experience. Develop an elevator pitch. Whenever you find yourself in a position to connect with a new person about a job opportunity, such as a job fair or networking event, recruiters want to know who you are quickly. Preparing a 1-minute or less speech about yourself, your experience, and your ideal job can help you feel more comfortable marketing yourself. Do your research. Come to your job interview prepared by researching the company with whom you are interviewing. If you are applying for a marketing position, for example, familiarizing yourself with their most recent marketing campaigns can wow the interview team. Phone a friend. Ask a friend to help you prepare by having a mock interview. Rehearsing the answers to potential interview questions can help relax your nerves and come into the real interview confidently.

Land your next job with these 8 simple tips and tricks to stand out to potential employers.

8 Simple Tips and Tricks To Help Land Your Next Job

Learn more about free job search tools, learning opportunities, and exclusive member events.

Discover CareerCircle

Access resources to advance your job search and career growth.

Tools & Training

Explore a wide range of job opportunities that match your skills and career goals.

Search Jobs

Create a professional resume that captures the attention of top employers with our easy-to-use tool.

Resume Builder

Prepare for your next interview with our expert tips and strategies.

Interview Prep

Discover in-depth profiles of leading employers to find your ideal workplace.

Search Companies

Develop in-demand skills with curated courses for today’s job market.

Courses

Access career resources and job postings anytime, anywhere with our app.

Mobile App

Source skilled talent and build your team.

Talent Acquisition

Access skilled talent ready to excel via our AI-driven platform, virtual events, and recruitment services.

CareerCircle TalentConnect

Transform your workforce and hiring practices with essential training and continuing education.

InclusiveU

Broaden your talent pool with dedicated support for individuals with disabilities.

Getting Hired Powered by CareerCircle

Mission aligned solutions supporting Non-Profit Organizations, Educational Institutions, Local Workforce Development Boards, and Learning Providers.

Upskilling & Job Advocacy

Upskilling solutions designed to empower members with in-demand skills training and ongoing support for successful certificate completion.

CareerReady

Job advocacy solutions to connect job seekers to inclusive employers through dedicated recruiting support.

CareerAdvocacy

Learn how we connect all communities with careers and build skilled talent pipelines.

About CareerCircle

Discover answers to common questions and gain insights into our goals and services.

Reach out to us for inquiries, support, or to learn more about our mission and services.

Contact

Explore our blog for latest news and trends for job seekers and employers.

Blog

Access our virtual career fairs, job seeker workshops, and employer focused webinars.

Events

Discover valuable resources to enhance your hiring strategy and drive organizational success.

Employer Resources

Get the latest news and updates on our mission, partnerships, and community impact.

Press Room

Learn how CareerCircle can help veterans find meaningful employment

Veterans

Learn how CareerCircle can help individuals with disabilities find meaningful employment

Individuals with Disabilities

Learn how CareerCircle can help military spouses find meaningful employment

Military Spouses

Discover benefits and best practices for hiring veterans

Disability Hiring

Discover benefits and best practices for hiring individuals with disabilities 

CareerCircle Team

157 Articles

How Job Seekers Can Prepare for an Online Career Fair

5 Ways You Can Make a Lasting Positive Impression at a Job Interview

8 Simple Tips and Tricks To Help Land Your Next Job

JOB SEEKERS

EMPLOYERS

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

ABOUT

RESOURCES