Virtual Recruitment: Behind the Scenes
Written by Ally Marecek October 2020
It’s that time of the year again: the season of caramel apples, cozy sweaters, colorful leaves, and collecting your nerves for the frenzy of job applications and interviews. As if online classes weren’t enough to keep us glued to the screen everyday, many college students, especially juniors and seniors, are settling into an almost daily routine of searching for the next internship or job opportunity.
While much of fall recruitment remains the same, there are some key differences this year; the pandemic has changed many aspects of our lives, and the career search has not been spared. Many of us have already had disrupted opportunities earlier this year that left us with gaps in our work experience. In the place of lively career fairs and heartfelt mentoring conversations over coffee, we have to experience it all through the cold hard lens of a computer screen. The isolation and monotony that has lasted for months continues to sap our strength. Even sharing our struggles and achievements with friends is not the same over a phone call.
The virtual format means we’re all a little stuck and unsure of how to move forward.
Luckily, there are still lots of ways to be engaged in virtual fall recruitment for jobs and internships, and more importantly, it is still possible to accomplish your current career goals. To help you make the most of fall recruitment this year, check out our tips for virtual networking, finding opportunities online, and selling yourself from the comfort of your couch!
Prepare Your Tools
Technology is your friend now more than ever, and not just because you’ll need a lot of episodes of your favorite show to keep yourself motivated. Just about everything, from gathering information about jobs to connecting with a potential employer, is done virtually. Hopefully by now you’ve managed to find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted as you roam the corners of the Internet to find the next big opportunity. Speaking of which, have you added any of these useful websites to your bookmarks?
Your school’s career center website: a great place to start with resources specific to your campus, and most likely some brilliant individuals who can advise you!
LinkedIn: a professional networking site that allows you to search for jobs and display your achievements.
Handshake: similar to LinkedIn but more specific to college students; check if you have an account with your school!
Monster: search for hundreds of job opportunities and companies.
Indeed: search for hundreds more job opportunities and companies.
O*Net Online: lets you search up various jobs and careers to learn more about different paths.
Career One Stop: provides information about careers, resources for training, and advice on everything from networking to acing the interview!
College Grad: a job search and advice platform focused on entry-level candidates.
Look Your Best
You can put your best foot forward even from a distance, and there’s no need to ditch the comfy outfits you’ve been rocking! Start by searching up your name online to see what pops up. See what accounts and sites are linked to your name and make sure they are current and professional, just in case a potential employer stumbles upon them! It’s great to have your own personal website as your virtual representation, but don’t feel stressed if you haven’t made one yet; it’s just as important to build a profile on a site such as LinkedIn or Handshake where you can network and be easily found by employers. Compared to a resume, these profiles can include more details to really showcase your unique strengths, experience, and personality! Don’t overload your viewers with your life story, but also don’t be afraid to mention some of your interests or display a class project you’re especially proud of. And if you don’t have a profile picture yet, now is the time to upload your best headshot. We all want to see who is on the other side of the screen!
Be Smart About Applications
When things seem dark, you need to tackle the challenge with a rock-solid strategy (or, as we might say, a strategy as solid as the brightest opal). Set up job alerts for whatever platforms you’re using, and apply to as many opportunities as you can. Be flexible and expand your options, paying attention to what jobs are in demand right now. Many jobs may seem unrelated to your path, but will actually provide you with valuable skills and experience that will help you out in the long run.
These are some of the industries that have remained viable during the pandemic:
Accounting
At-home entertainment (film streaming, video games)
Cybersecurity
Delivery and online shopping
Digital media
Eco-friendly technologies
E-learning and teaching
Fitness
Information technology
Marketing
Medical services
Mental health services
Legal services
Pharmaceuticals
Public utilities
Retail
Software development
UI and UX
Network
Lots of personal connections are great for organizing a Zoom party, and even better for snagging a job! The lack of in-person connection is perhaps the most noticeable and difficult change brought by the pandemic, but don’t be discouraged; it is still possible to meet people and build connections at this time. LinkedIn is a great place to create this network. You can connect with people you work with, people in your classes, and alumni from your school to start off, but remember that with virtual networking, you can add absolutely anyone to your network! A great way to get your foot in the door is to network with current employees at an organization you’re interested in. Make these connections more meaningful by arranging for a virtual lunch or coffee, where you can conduct informational interviews, learn about any open roles, and simply get to know each other on a more personal level.
It’s also good to go to virtual career fairs, where you can network with employers who are specifically looking for college students. Just like an in-person career fair, come prepared with your own research about the companies and some space to write down what you learn! Doing your research ahead of time is even more important for virtual fairs, because you want to know exactly who you’re going to meet with and when.
Interview
Those of us who sweat and fidget our way through in-person interviews can relax a bit. Interviews will likely be conducted virtually for quite some time, which has advantages and disadvantages. Get ready by organizing the room where you will conduct your interview, making sure it is quiet and neat. If you’re allowed to use a virtual background, get that set up ahead of time. To be fully prepared, try a practice interview where you record yourself to see how you look and sound. If you want, set this up with a friend so they can help point things out as well. You can also try using Big Interview, an online interview prep system that provides you with feedback.
It’s good to use the platform that you will be expected to use in the interview; know how to mute yourself and how to share your screen if you will present any sample work. As you watch your recordings, here are some details to look out for:
Outfit: even if your whole body won’t be seen, it’s good to be fully dressed in professional attire in case you need to stand up or move around at some point… or even to just put you in the right state of mind!
Eye contact: in a virtual interview, you lose out on a lot of communication through body language, so make sure you stay focused and maintain eye contact.
Fidgeting: tapping your foot or hand out of frame is not usually a big deal, but take note of how much distracting movement can actually be seen or heard.
Sound: identify where you are talking too fast or slow, where you stumble and pause, and where you may be drowned out by background noise.
Background: don’t wait until the interview to realize that everyone can totally see an overflowing laundry basket behind you!
Gain Skills
If you’re not completely sick of online learning (no judgment if you are!), enroll in courses or watch free tutorials to gain valuable skills! Job and internship experience is ideal for learning the most in-demand skills and expertise, but many of us have had our recent opportunities cut short or were left with virtual options that weren’t quite the same. However, you can still work on soft and technical skills with various online tutorials and practice exercises. There are many resources available for certain subjects; head to Adobe to learn how to use their programs, check out Canva’s resources for design tips, or use HackerRank and LeetCode if you need to brush up on your coding abilities.
For a great variety of all kinds of subjects, check out:
Many universities offer online courses, which you can explore on their websites or at edX!
Keep these tips in mind in the coming weeks and make the most of fall recruitment! Although a lot has changed, one important thing remains the same: you are all capable of overcoming this latest challenge and successfully scoring your next opportunity!