Tips for a Successful Virtual Cleared Job Fair

Pre-Event

1. Prepare Your Intro and Answers. Write a brief introduction for yourself as well as answers to commonly asked interview questions before chatting with recruiters. This is your chance to craft clear, concise responses about you, your experience, and your goals that you can easily copy and paste into the chat window.

2. Register and Upload Your Resume. Do a solid read-through of your cleared resume before the event—employers prefer to hire someone who comes prepared. Create your profile and upload your resume after you receive your registration link to the Virtual Cleared Job Fair site from ClearedJobs.Net.

3. Be Ready With Questions. There are a number of factors that go into a job search. Log in before the event to research the participating employers, prioritize the booths, and prepare questions that are specific to each employer you hope to chat with. Thoughtful questions should be about the company culture and climate, their hiring process, professional and staff development, etc.

4. Review the Job Seeker Handbook. In your confirmation you’ll receive a link to the Job Seeker Handbook, which will also be available in our Information Booth during the event. The document details the employers and some of the jobs they’ll be seeking to fill during the virtual job fair.

5. Check Your Tech. The virtual event is web based so downloads are not necessary. Make sure you’re using the most updated version of your browser and that you have a good internet connection. Here’s a service check link to make sure you can access the event without firewall or other issues.

During The Event

6. Initiate Chats With Employers. Each text-based chat is timed to maximize your ability to speak with multiple recruiters. Be succinct with your Q&A during your chat—keep your questions and answers short—sentences not paragraphs! When you first enter a chat know that the recruiter is reviewing your resume, so give them a moment.

7. Maximize Your Effort. It’s in your best interest as a cleared job seeker to wait in as many chat lines as possible. Don’t worry, the software algorithm will automatically sort you to the next available line. While you wait, you can check out content the employer has provided in their booth, view resources in the content bar from the lobby, or even do work in another tab in your browser. You’ll hear an audible “ding” notification when it is your turn to chat, so make sure your sound is on.

8. Make This First Step Count. This is your first step in the interview process—an important one to learn more about what an employer looks for and if it matches your cleared job search requirements. Be sure to ask about more than just what they’re hiring for!

9. Take Notes. You’ll be taken to a chat conclusion page when your conversation with an employer ends. This page will allow you to rate your chat and take notes about the representative or anything that was discussed.