Virtual Emiratisation Career Fair can be a overwhelming experience if you are participating for the first time. So, here are some tips to get you ready well ahead of time.
For Job Seekers
Before the fair
Review the list of registered companies and identify organizations you are most interested in pursuing. Do some research and explore the companies that interest you, focusing on mission, culture, and skills valued. Prepare a list of questions for each employer based on your research of the organization.
Access to the Virtual platform will be provided in March to Job Seekers can book their meetings with recruiters and line managers in advance.
Here are some examples of the questions you can ask:
- What’s the biggest challenge the new [open role] can help solve?
- Who’s the manager/direct report for this role?
- What’s this team’s biggest goal in the next six months?
- What does the hiring process for [open role] look like?
- How long have you been at [Company]?
- What do you like about [Company]?
- What does growth and development look like at [Company]?
- How does [Company] work to upskill and reskill its employees?
- What kind of person is most successful at [Company]?
- What does communication look like at [Company]? What kind of technology do you use for communication?
- What kind of culture is there around feedback at [Company]? How do people like to give and receive feedback?
- Diversity is really important to me. How do you support different identities?
- What’s the best way to stay in touch with you?
- What would be a great next step to take after meeting you here?
Describe specific experiences where you demonstrated your strengths; examples will make you a stronger candidate. Practice this introduction with someone else, so that you get comfortable introducing yourself. Better yet – practice this virtually during a Zoom call with a friend!
Update your resume, and make sure that it highlights your most marketable skills. Employers have the option to collect resumes over chat, so we recommend that you save your resume as a PDF to ensure a smoother upload. Also, make sure to have multiple versions (if needed) based on the different organizations/positions you anticipate engaging with during the fair.
For Virtual Emiratisation Career Fairs, you will want to make sure your technology is functioning properly. Test your internet reception, webcam, and microphone quality. Also, make sure to have backup options if technical glitches occur (i.e. a phone nearby if you need to switch to mobile hotspot). Because you may be able to interact with recruiters via video call, you should also make sure to find a clean, quiet, well-lit space.
Complete your Job Seeker Registration. (UAE Nationals Only)
At the fair
Even at a virtual career fair there is the possibility of a video chat with an employer, so we recommend dressing the same way you would for an in-person fair.
In a virtual environment, body language and how you present yourself matters. Give a genuine smile when introducing yourself. Eye contact is very important to demonstrate interest and engagement. In a virtual environment, making eye contact means looking directly into the camera (not at yourself or the other person). This can take some getting used to, so practice with friends or family ahead of time. Sit up straight and avoid crossing your arms – you want to appear engaged and attentive. Also try to limit distracting behaviors like fidgeting, playing with your hair, looking around when talking or being spoken to, or chewing gum.
It is important to speak slowly and clearly during a virtual conversation. Be sure not to talk over the other person – give them time to finish asking or answering a question before speaking. Answer questions confidently and definitively, just like you would at an in-person event.
Many virtual career fair platforms use chat functionality to allow employers and students to interact with each other. Just like any other communication with an employer, you want to keep these professional. Avoid using slang, emoticons, or acronyms (ex. LOL, UR) in your chats, and have questions prepared ahead of time for the employer so that you can quickly type them in. If it is a group chat, give other students the chance to get their questions answered before typing in additional questions.
Be sure to have a notebook and pen next to your computer to jot down notes and contact information. It is important to not seem distracted or appear as if you are doing other things on your computer.
Be sure to write down the name and email address of company representatives that you talk to. It is also ok to ask about hiring processes/timelines to make sure you’re following the right steps!
The fair is a great chance to compare and contrast many opportunities in a relatively short time (and is much more efficient than attending a one-hour presentation by each participating organization!). Be sure to do your research ahead of time so that you understand what each company does, what kinds of opportunities they are hiring for, and be prepared to talk about why you might be a good fit.
After the fair
Send a thank-you email along with your resume; use the opportunity to reiterate how your background and skills match their needs.
Reference someone you engaged with at the fair in the opening paragraph of your cover letter. For example, “After interacting with XYZ at the JobsForNationals 3rd Virtual Emiratisation Career Fair, I know my analytical and communication skills will be a good fit for the marketing Internship role at XYZ.” You do not need to know the contact extensively but be genuine in how you refer to him or her.
Companies are busy doing what they do and may not get back to you right away. It’s okay to send a reminder if you haven’t heard anything in a few days. Better yet, find an article based on what you discussed during the fair, or related to the organization’s industry, and send that along with your email. It shows that you are genuinely interested in their work and actually paid attention.
For Employers
Ensure your branding is ready for your 3D Stand. You will require a HD Logo, 2 banners, 1 video just for the stand.
Additionally you can also upload documents (JD’s), videos, images, on your stand to build an engaging and informative experience for UAE National Job seekers.
Premium Employer Branding creates a custom job seeker experience to promote the EVP, brand, culture, workplace and career opportunities through videos, audio and images.
DOWNLOAD Premium Employer branding Guidelines to lean more about all the premium branding options.
Make sure you have your UAE National Job descriptions ready well ahead of the event. Job descriptions should also include a description of what the candidates need to achieve to be considered successful.
Job postings on JobsForNationals are live to up to 90 days, therefore we recommend posting the jobs well ahead of the event so they are promoted across our social media channels to begin the pipeline buildup.
During the event, the Exhibitors booth will be linked to the exhibitors employer page where candidates can follow or apply for jobs.
ONLY UAE Nationals can follow and apply to jobs on JobsForNationals.
The best strategy is to have the line managers participating in the event. Every booth comes with an option of 5 team members. Therefore it is a good idea to get the mix between recruiters and line managers specially if there are technical roles that require technical know how.
OPTION: if selected during the exhibitor registration, the advance analytics provides all the engagement information; documents downloaded, videos watched, team member engagement, …
Complete your Exhibitor Registration well in advance to ensure the booth is handed over in time and team members are on boarded ahead of time so job seekers can book meetings in advance with team members.
