Michigan Collegiate Virtual Job Fair

An employer's guide to maximizing chat in a virtual job fair (VJF)

Q:What is a Virtual Interview Session and how do I use one?
A Virtual Interview Session is a way for employers and candidates to interact with each other in real time through typed messages. There is also the ability to send private messages to discuss specific matters that may not be of interest to the entire group.

Employers:
Simply post the time you plan to be available for this interaction under the Virtual Information Session section of your booth, and return during that time to converse with students.

Candidates:
A list of times employers will be available will be posted on the first page after you login to the fair. Simply return to the fair during that time to interact with the employer.

NOTE: As in all Internet-based communication, please be careful not to reveal sensitive information during these sessions. An employer will never ask you for your social security number, credit card number, phone, address, or other sensitive information during these sessions.

Q: Will all of the employers have access to the resumes of all candidates who participate?
The candidate has full control over which employers see their resume. Similar to a traditional career fair, employers will have access to the resumes given to them. If a candidate applies to your position you will have access to their resume.

Q: How many students will I have to chat with at one time?
A: As many as you feel you can handle. You can chat simultaneously with as many students as you are comfortable with, or you can focus on one at a time. The system creates a private window for each student participating in the session; it is not an open chat room format with multiple participants interacting with each other at once. Feel free to let participants know if you need them to wait a few minutes while you finish with a current conversation. If there are particular students that you want to contact you may want to e-mail them directly to pre-schedule chat times; you have access to the chat feature anytime not just at the times you publish in your registration/profile.

Q: How long is a session?
A: It can be as long as you and the student want. We encourage all participants to limit chats to 10-15 minutes to respect others waiting in the queue.

Q: Do I need to use the chat function at the virtual job fair?
A: While employers are welcome to use the VJF functions most suitable to their needs we encourage you to schedule some chat time. First, this can give your organization the most utility from the VJF. Second, students see chat as part of their normal environment and a standard communications channel. Reaching out to prospective employees in this way signals understanding, flexibility, and a desire to engage them. All positives for an organization's image.

Q: I am not a fast typist, how can I keep up?
A: Odds are there are standard questions you face at job fairs and form other job candidates. Prepare ahead of time by typing up notes with brief answers to those questions. From there, just copy and paste the answer during a chat when one of those questions comes up. You may want to tweak each response to keep it personal. Be honest by noting if it is a question you regularly hear so you have a prepared bit to share.

Q: Can I really get to know candidates without seeing them face-to-face?
A: Certainly. An online and virtual environment can yield plenty of clues and cues. They just happen to be different from the ones we use to in our face-to-face interactions. Watch for how they write - What kind of words does a candidate use? Are the thoughts and questions clear, coherent, and appropriate? What is the overall tone? Can the candidate be expressive without depending on smilies/emoticons?

Q: That's great, but that means I may need a record of the conversation.
A: Before closing a chat session, you can copy and paste the whole conversation into a new document. The chat system will also provide the ability to record a session as an archive. Now that is something you cannot do with a line of candidates standing at a table.