Virtual Career Fair Candidate FAQs

• Who is eligible to attend the Virtual Career Fair?
  Most Fairs are open to all types of majors and degree levels. Students as well as alumni are invited to participate. Note: Some events are restricted by specific majors.
  
• Is the virtual chat room open continuously during the fair or only during assigned times?
  The virtual chat room is always open; however, the hours companies are present are defined by their recruiters. Employers’ chat hours can be found with the list of registered employers by clicking on “Event Details” for that fair, when logged into your account.
  
• Is uploading my resume into the virtual career fair system all I need to do to participate?
  Not necessarily. Uploading your resume and/or cover letter is the first step in making your materials available to participating employers. After you upload your documents into the system, they are visible immediately for review by employers. Companies may begin screening resumes prior to the event and also invite you to visit their specific chat sessions and/or schedule video interviews before, during, or after the event hours.
  
• Do I need to be invited to attend the chat sessions by an employer?
  Not all employers will send email invitations to their chat sessions so join the event and visit employers that interest you. You are welcome to visit any chat sessions during the fair.
  
• Do actual interviews take place during the fair?
  This is completely up to the employer. Some employers use this forum for screening (and interviews take place afterward) while others conduct phone interviews, video interviews, or schedule in-person interviews during or after the event. Many employers make job offers to candidates found through the virtual career fairs. Important: Joining employers’ chat sessions is the first step in potentially securing a job offer.
  
• I noticed that some employers listed job postings but are not hosting chat hours. Should I still apply for their jobs?
  Absolutely. Some employers use the Virtual Career Fair as a method to collect resumes and identify interested candidates. By applying to job postings and/or noting your interest in a specific employer through your account, the employer will be alerted to look at your resume. Employers then have the option to follow-up directly with candidates that match their criteria subsequent to the virtual event.
  
• What if an employer wants to hold a video chat?
  You will need a webcam and an updated version of either Google Chrome or Firefox to participate in video chats or receive their audio/video broadcasts.
  
• If there are a number of attendees trying to chat at the same time, will there be a waiting list in order of who joined the session first?
  There is not a waiting list, just a natural ebb and flow of visitors. Recruiters may have a lot of traffic (just as in a live fair) and cannot reach everyone immediately. Remember that patience is highly appreciated by the recruiters and the right job is worth the wait!
  
• I have a video chat scheduled with a company – what should I be wearing?
  You should be dressed as if you were going on an interview. Make that first impression a good one! We also recommend you check what is visible behind you so that there is nothing to distract the recruiter.
  
• Why do some companies use more than one chat room?
  Some companies may have different chat rooms to manage different hiring needs.
  
• What happens at the end of scheduled chat hours? Is everything just cut off with a certain company?
  Nothing happens until the employer stops using their room. If they are engaged in active chats, they may continue past the hours if they wish. If they close their room, the chat session will be automatically ended and all visitors will be exited from their session.
  
• I am having difficulty connecting to my chat room. What should I do?
  Make sure you are using an updated version of a major browser. Please add the VCF url to your list of trusted sites. We highly recommend updated versions of Google Chrome or Firefox (It is required to receive video/audio broadcasts in the chat room or engage in direct video chats with employers). Safari and is also supported. If using Internet Explorer, you must update to IE Version 11 (previous versions are not supported in the chat rooms).