Introduction
Given the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual career fairs have become an ever important form of recruiting for universities and companies across the world.
By allowing virtual connections, virtual career fairs are a safer alternative to recruiting that allows for job seekers and recruiters to connect while adhering to social distancing measures.
That said, even beyond social distancing benefits, virtual career fairs offer many benefits over in-person fairs that may help you decide if a virtual career fair is right for you.
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Cost
It’s no secret that in-person career fairs have large price tags to cover the cost of venue rentals, supplies, catering, etc.
With a virtual career fair, you can do away with the extra overhead since the event is taking place in a virtual setting. A virtual career fair will naturally cost much less than a physical career fair due to not having to pay expensive venue fees.
If you are hoping to provide a medium of connection between your job seekers and recruiters without the hefty price tag of venue costs, a virtual career fair may be the right solution.
Geographic Considerations
Since a virtual career fair is not dependent on a physical venue, a virtual fair can be attended by job seekers and employers regardless of their location. As long as they have an internet connection, your virtual fair stakeholders can take part in your event from any location.
This allows for you to accommodate an international audience if you have stakeholders that may come from different countries and timezones.
Data collection
With a virtual career fair, you can capture granular data on your event. For instance, metrics on things like the number of booth visits or booth impressions that an exhibitor received often can be tracked inside a virtual career fair. Conversely, in a physical career fair you won’t be able to track such information.
A virtual career fair offers greater insight and metrics into how your job seekers and recruiters are engaging with one another.
Greater Event Control
In a physical career fair, you oftentimes will not have control over the booth set up and layout of your exhibitors. With a virtual career fair though, you can control the information, branding, etc. of each of your exhibitors so that you ensure that everyone is properly following your guidelines and requirements for the virtual event.
Time Frame Flexibility
Due to physical constraints, an in-person career fair usually needs to fit within a very specific couple-hour time frame. Since a virtual career fair does not have physical constraints, the time frames of a virtual fair can be much longer and much more flexible. For instance, you could hold part of your virtual fair during the morning and another part in the evening if it makes sense.
Targeted Communication
To broadcast information and updates at an in-person fair, the main options you really have are to send mass emails and provide word of mouth, but even then, there’s no guarantee that your message will reach the right audience.
In a virtual career fair, you typically will have the opportunity to send targeted notifications where you can specify the exact audience for your messaging. This provides a more contextual and effective method of communication.
Conclusion
Even after a time of social distancing, there are many reasons why you may want to host a virtual career fair. A virtual career fair provides greater control, flexibility, and cost savings over a physical career fair. If your recruiting situation may benefit from such considerations, a virtual career fair may be right for you.
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**Eventus offers a virtual career fair platform fully equipped with the aforementioned benefits. To learn more, visit our website here.
