I have been reading a lot lately about Virtual Job Fairs & how people are confused & intimidated by the process.
First off, job fairs or interviews in general are extremely nerve wrecking for almost anyone. You are putting yourself out there to be ultimately judged by strangers that do not know anything about you. They first will take into account a visual & judge you on that. Then they will judge you on whether or not you can articulate yourself properly & whether or not you are equipped to the job you are being interviewed for.
During a typical interview face-to-face it is naturally more intimate and as others have posted on LinkedIn, it can be an “easy ice breaker”. However, virtual interviews or job fairs give a sense of coldness & disconnection that is often times lacking. How do I connect with a person I do not know?
Lets go back about 15 years when AOL Instant Messenger was alive & strong. How did you connect to strangers? You found a chat room & started talking about like-minded things. So break the ice that way. You can do that by doing research prior. I know it sounds like a ton of work *Sigh* & it may be but the results will be far superior rather then you going in blind.
Ice Breakers
- What is a skill that you want to learn?
- What are you currently reading?
- Are you happy with the way the industry you are in? Do you have other industries that interest you?
- What is the most interesting thing that has happened to you as a Recruiter?
- Whats the longest interview you have ever sat in on?
Those are just a few to get you by. Most importantly, you have to stay calm & true to self. Recruiters & Company Representatives want to see the real you. Show them! Computerized versions of yourself are often times more cold then you mean to come off. So leave the reversed & scripted speeches at home. Come to the table with a clear state of mine, prepared questions on the company & the positions. Dress to impress even if you are sitting in your kitchen. Make sure you have really good lighting. You can even invest in a light ring like the few seen below. Amazon has good, high-rated ones that won’t break the bank.
So next time you decide to do a virtual interview or a job fair. Relax, poor yourself a cup of coffee to get your energy flowing. Pick your favorite room in the house or even go outside if it is quiet enough. Have your notes ready, your pen & paper & an updated copy of your resume for quick reference. You can even have the company page pulled up on your computer on a different tab just in case you forget something.
You have this, I am rooting for you!
