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Fall 2021 Virtual Fairs

Program Overview

We are excited to announce that we are offering four fairs online during the fall 2021 semester!

Creative, Communications, and Business Career & Internship Fair | 09.22.21 | 1pm – 4pm  

 

STEM & Healthcare Career & Internship Fair | 09.24.21 | 10am – 1pm

 

Social Justice/Impact & Nonprofit Career & Internship Fair | 09.29.21 | 1pm – 4pm

 

Graduate & Professional School Fair | 10.01.21 | 10am – 1pm

 

Employers, Internship supervisors, and graduate school admissions staff will be in attendance to discuss available opportunities with TCNJ students and alumni. Employers will be able to engage with students and alumni in this virtual environment through:

  • Video, audio, and chat communication
  • Group sessions with up to 50 attendees
  • 1:1 meetings

 



Student Resources

Get the Most out of Your Online Fair: Career Fair Prep Session Schedule

 

Get Registered for the Fairs

  • To register for TCNJ Virtual Career Fairs, log in to your Handshake account.
  • Set your Handshake account privacy settings to “COMMUNITY” by clicking on your photo or initials in the top right corner of Handshake and selecting “Settings & Privacy”. This setting will allow you to participate in all portions of the virtual fairs.
  • Click on “Events”, and select the “Career fair” and “virtual” filters to see upcoming fairs.
  • Select the fair you are interested in, and then “Register”

Create Your Schedule to connect with Employers

  • After you’ve registered, select “Available sessions” to view employers attending the fair.
  • To narrow your search by industry, majors, etc., click on “All filters”.
  • TIP: Consider finding the employers you are most interested in and schedule 1:1 sessions (1:1 sessions last 10 minutes). You will only be able to sign up for a 1:1 session if you meet the employer’s preferences.
  • Follow any employers of interest and check back for open slots should more become available.
  • You may sign up for group sessions or 1:1 sessions with employers on the day of the fair, but we encourage you to plan ahead to ensure that there are open slots!
  • Watch this 4-minute video on how to register and sign up for sessions

How to Prepare for a Virtual Fair

  • Update Your Handshake Profile 
    • The first step in preparing for virtual fairs is to make sure your Handshake profile is complete and up-to-date. Your Handshake profile helps you get personalized recommendations for upcoming virtual events. Plus, recruiters use profile fields to find students to invite to their sessions. Do not let an incomplete or out-of-date profile keep you from getting discovered by recruiters.
    • You can do this by clicking on your photo or initials in the top right corner of Handshake and selecting “My Profile”
    • Be sure to update your GPA, major, school year, graduation date, preferred name & pronouns, work experience, work authorization, projects, and more! 
    • Select the job types, locations and roles that interest you, so recruiters know which jobs and internships are a good fit for you.
    • Watch this 1 minute video from our Instagram on how to update your profile
  • Prepare Your Resume
    • Not sure what to include in your resume or how it should be formatted? Check out our Career Handbook for resume examples.  
    • After you have made edits to your resume, schedule a 15-minute resume review appointment in Handshake.
    • It is helpful to have your resume in Google Doc to share during your appointment. 
  • Upload Your Preferred Resume to Handshake
    • Upload your resume by clicking on your photo or initials in the top right corner of Handshake and selecting “Documents”. In your Documents section, click “Add New Document” and set it to “Public” for employers to review during the Career Fair 
    • Check out this YouTube video with step-by-step instructions on how to upload a document to Handshake.
  • Check Your Technical Requirements
    • The required web browsers for Handshake’s Virtual Career Fair platform is Google Chrome or Firefox
    • Text-based chat will be an option if you do not have access to a webcam. Please note that students can access sessions 5 minutes early to test audio and video. 
    • Check out this helpful article for additional information: Handshake Video Requirements & Troubleshooting for Students
  • Plan Your Outfit and Workspace
    • Outfit
      • Although you will not be traveling to meet with employers in person, it is still important to dress professionally and look well-groomed during a Virtual Career Fair.
      • Employers recognize when you have taken the time to present yourself in a professional manner. Whether we are meeting via phone or virtually, we tend to be more professional when we dress the part.
      • When planning your Virtual Career Fair #OOTD (outfit of the day), here are some things to consider:
        • Dress professionally from head to toe as if you were going for an in-person interview
        • Use simple accessories and stay away from busy patterns
        • Wear neat, simple makeup if you feel inclined to wear any
    • Workspace
      • Check your surroundings. You want the interviewer to concentrate on you and not be distracted by what’s behind you, voices in the next room, or the fact that they cannot see your face very well.
      • Lighting is a huge factor to consider — make sure your face is visible. Try sitting next to a window or close to a light so your face is illuminated. You want the light to be coming from in front of you and not behind you.
      • Do not let your surroundings detract from the great things you are saying… you want to come across as you are—smart, capable and ready to take on the work at their company or organization!
  • Research Employers Attending
    • View the list of employer attendees and use the search filters to find organizations that interest you. Click on the organization name to view the employer profile. 
    • Visit their website, understand their mission & values, take a look at their open roles, and see what is being said about them in the news. 
    • Make a list of the organizations you are most excited to connect with during the virtual fair. Refer to this list as you’re signing up for both group and 1:1 sessions.
  • Practice Your Pitch 
    • A simple and effective formula for structuring your response is: present, past, future.
      • Present: Talk a little bit about what your current role is, the scope of it, and perhaps a recent accomplishment.
      • Past: Tell the interviewer about your previous experience(s) that are relevant to the job and company you’re applying for.
      • Future: Segue into what you’re looking to do next and why you’re interested in this role/company (and a great fit for it, too).
    • This isn’t the only way to build your response, of course, you can tweak it as you see fit. Make sure you ultimately tie it to the job and company.

What to Expect During a Virtual Career Fair

  • What will participating in a virtual fair look like on fair day? Check out this helpful article complete with screenshots!
  • You will access the fair through the event page in Handshake
  • Maintain eye contact (look at the camera, not the screen) and practice active listening 
  • Ask thoughtful questions based on your company research
  • On the day of the fair, we will provide support to students via an external Zoom link. The Zoom link can be accessed at the top of the event description on Handshake. Drop in with day-of questions or concerns.

After the Fair

  • Follow-up with employers via Handshake message or email (see example below)
  • View and apply to open jobs or internships in Handshake
  • Prepare for Virtual Interviews using TCNJ Big Interview

Example of a follow up email

Subject Line: TCNJ Career Fair Follow-Up

Dear [name of recruiter]:

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me at TCNJ’s Career Fair on [insert date] about [insert position title and/or company name]. I enjoyed hearing more about ________________________. I also appreciated learning about __________________ as well as the skills that you look for in a candidate.

Based on our conversation, I believe I would be a great addition to your company due to my _______ skills and my expertise in _________ and _________. [insert company name] seems like a great fit for my personality, values and career goals. A copy of my resume is attached for your reference. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or would like to discuss my qualifications further.

Thank you again for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

[insert your first & last name]


Contact

The Career Center
Roscoe West Library, Room 102
The College of New Jersey
P.O. Box 7718
2000 Pennington Rd.
Ewing, NJ 08628

609.771.2161
Staff Directory
Office and Resumé Open Hours

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