by Jennifer Hicks
Some places like
Computemp Virtual Job Fair have instituted their own virtual job fairs. But, many of us lack the time or the resources or the technological expertise to do so. Fortunately, in those cases, all is not lost.
We live in a capitalist society - where there is a demand, there is usually a supply. Web conferencing suppliers fit the need.
VENDORS
PlaceWare
PlaceWare, Inc. develops and markets "live," community-based applications for the Web. It allows more than 1,000 people to attend live audio presentations without leaving their offices.
You can see how it works through a guided tour at the site. Or you can attend live sessions every Tuesday and Thursday when people present on electronic collaboration, cost-effectiveness of online presentations, and more. It might just be what you need to hold a real virtual job fair, or a training program or an information session.
Even if you visit a presentation that's a bust, think of the implications of the software. A Java-based Web site leaves us cold, but the technology put to real use could be quite different.
iContact
Another possibility is software from
iContact. This lets you track visitors as they wander around your site and initiate a real-time discussion.
It involves no extra software for the visitor. Let's say you notice a prospect looking for C++ programming jobs. You can start a real-time, text-based conversation with her and base your comments on what you've noticed. You get the opportunity to offer assistance, find out more about what she needs and direct her to something she may not have seen.
In essence, you get to develop an immediate relationship.
Certainly this doesn't classify as a multi-participant fair, but it does gain attention and provide for real-time interaction. Check out their site and see how it works.
Round Table
Round Table, along with the company's Conference Server, provides for collaboration and chat. It combines text-based chatting with a capability to share images, documents, URLs, video and audio in a dynamic fashion. A free demo disk is available.
If you're using Round Table, your browser window splits into three columns. One column contains a list of people participating in the conference. Another column broadcasts the text that's typed. The last column is a work area, where documents can be shared for all to see.
THE NEED TO INTEGRATE
While truly interactive Web sites and virtual job fairs won't guarantee you additional hires, they do provide the glue that keeps both Web surfers and gurus coming back - the need for community, for relationship building, for being recognized as a person rather than a keyboard extension.
If you combine a virtual job fair with your Web and newspaper job postings and your ever-continuing search for resumes, you widen your reach. Think about it.
-- Jennifer Hicks, a seasoned Internet researcher who writes extensively on
the use of the Internet for job hunters and recruiters, writes RealTools for
AIRS.
About AIRS
AIRS teaches recruiters and high-growth companies to find passive candidates
hidden inside directories, databases, archives and the public Web servers of
over 400,000 companies and organizations on the Net. For more information
about our cutting edge training seminars, publications, or web applications
please call 1-800-466-4010 or check out our web site at
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