VIrtual Career Fairs
How to Prepare for a Virtual Career Fair
We’re excited to be able to connect you to hiring employers through Handshake’s new virtual career fair format.
Unlike an in-person fair where you can just walk up to an employer, say hello, and jump into your elevator pitch, virtual career fairs have a few more steps. These steps happen well before you meet an employer. But if you follow them, you’ll be setting yourself up for success – no matter who you meet!
Watch the replay of "Navigating Virtual Career Fairs in Handshake video to walk through the Virtual Career process.
Start With Handshake
Complete your Profile
A complete profile allows you to present a complete picture of who you are as a student and professional. It includes adding an experience, skills, career interests and more.
» How to complete your profile» Build profile from resume
Public Profile
You can choose to make your profile visible to Community, to Employers only, or private, Having your profile public to employers also means they can find you when they’re searching for qualified candidates.
» Change your profile visibilityUpload your Resume
You'll likely want to have a public resume available in Handshake for employers to see. You can share it with employers – like at a virtual career fair – or have it ready to apply for a job via Handshake.
» Upload a documentEmployers and Registering for Sessions
See Who’s Hiring
View the virtual fair details page to see the list of hiring. From there, you can click through to each employer’s Handshake page to learn more about them and read reviews from other students.
» How to view the employer listSchedule a Session
Group Sessions are 30 minutes with multiple students, like virtual information session. 1:1 Sessions are 10 minutes with just you and the employer. You can schedule an appointment up to 1 minute before the session. Check back often as new sessions are always being added.
» How to register
» How to sign up for sessions » How to register for sessions(video)
Research the Employer
You can click through to each employer’s Handshake page to learn more about them and read reviews from other students. But also look beyond Handshake. View their company website and search online for recent news articles.
» Plan your search» Researching the company
Plan for Success
Prepare Talking Points
The employers want to learn more about you! So draft an “elevator pitch” about yourself—a short overview about your background, studies, and career goals. Practice with a friend or family member so you’ll be ready.
» Creating your pitchYou & Your Background
Dressing up a bit will help boost your confidence even if they only see part of you. Plan where you will be sitting ahead of time—make sure it’s quiet and there is a plain background behind you.
» Professional Dress Lookbook» How to prepare for a video interview
Check your Technology
Ensure you have the right setup to support your audio (required) and video (optional). All sessions will have those options plus text chat. It is up to you and the employer joining the session to determine how you would like to connect.
» Handshake video requirementsAdditional Resources
Career Support Options
Drop-in or By Appointment
We have several ways for you to get the career support you need. Whether it's a drop-in appointment or something scheduled with a peer coach or our professional staff, help is just a click away!