WASHINGTON – Waiting until a tour of duty is completed before beginning the career hunt put service members at a disadvantage in a tough job market, hiring experts agree. Now virtual career fairs are coming to them wherever they’re deployed so they can get a jump on the job hunt.
Hiring experts advise that employers are more likely to hire an applicant who is currently employed. With interactive websites aimed at active service members, applying before you separate from the military makes sense.
“We’ve brought the career fair – the entire experience – online,” said Kevin O’Brien, founder of Milicruit, one of the providers of virtual job fairs exclusively for service members, veterans and military spouses.
“You can touch a lot more people in front of your computer than you can battling crowds at a career fair,” O’Brien said.
What is a virtual job fair?
Imagine a low-budget video game with big-time impact.
You log on, set up an account and are directed to a Web page designed to look like a convention hall. Images of booths with company logos appear on the screen. You scroll in either direction to navigate through them. Pick those you like to learn more and send a message to the firm.
In addition to this virtual job fair, which can be accessed at any time, Milicruit has created a live, timed event when every recruiter is online.
“It’s a little bit more personal,” O’Brien said.
Milicruit virtual job fair exhibit hall, screen shot courtesy of Milicruit
Create a profile
The first thing a recruiter does after a job applicant sends a message is pull up the applicant’s profile, O’Brien said. If an applicant does not have a complete profile, the recruiter may not even respond to the message.
Make sure that your user profile includes a resume and a picture. Even in a virtual environment recruiters want to be able to put a face with a name and have a complete background of the applicant.
Your username matters
It’s the first impression at a virtual job fair. Make it count.
Do your homework
“The more homework you do, the more memorable of a candidate you will be,” advises a virtual guide who greets applicants as they enter the convention hall on Milicruit’s website.
Because the booths are always accessible, applicants should start researching companies early.
Lisa Rosser, founder of The Value of a Veteran, a company that teaches employers how to develop military recruitment and retention strategies, emphasized the importance of applicants knowing which jobs companies are offering.
Companies on Milicruit’s website link to open positions. It’s the biggest advantage to a virtual job fair, O’Brien said.
Ask the right questions
Avoid asking questions that are available on the company’s website.
Specific questions about the company and its open positions are best, O’Brien and Rosser advised.
If you are preparing to separate from the military, ask the recruiter whether it is an appropriate time to apply for the job or whether relocation benefits are available.
The right questions show you did your homework. And doing your homework makes you memorable.
Cyberspace is public space
If you are typing it, recruiters can see it. Do not use a site’s chat or networking features as a forum for personal – or nonprofessional – discussions.
In addition, grammar and professionalism are just as crucial in the virtual world as they are anywhere else.
Patience is a virtue
During a scheduled event, recruiters may meet anywhere from 500 to 1,200 applicants, according to Rosser. But because it’s virtual, applicants do not know how many people are waiting in line.
O’Brien urges applicants to remember that just because the job fair is online, applicants cannot expect an immediate response. Recruiters will get to you as soon as they can. If there is a long wait, visit another booth or send a message.