If you are planning to host a virtual career fair or virtual job fair, you have plenty of options to choose from. There are plenty of platforms to choose from. However, choosing the right platform is not as easy as it may sound. There are plenty of things you need to pay attention to, such as the features of the platform. If you want to make the event successful the features of the platform become crucial.

Some platforms may have features that suit your needs more than others. Others may also have what you need but are beyond your budget. When evaluating some of the various platforms to choose from, you need to find the right fit and also consider potential issues that may arise ahead of time so that your virtual career fair can be a success.

In this article, we give you some of the top factors you need to pay attention to when choosing a virtual career fair platform. So without wasting more time, let’s delve into them.

  1. The scope of the event

Different virtual career fair platforms can sometimes be used differently. For instance, some platforms may be leaning towards large conglomerate style events while others may be best suited for small or medium networking events.

When selecting your virtual career fair, it is important to consider the type of recruiting event you want to implement. Of course, when you clearly define the scope of your event, you will have a better understanding of the features that will be best suited for your specific event needs.

  • Ease of use

Of course, another crucial factor you need to consider when choosing a virtual career fair platform is how easy it is to use it. No matter the features a virtual career platform may have, at the end of the day, if the platform is not easy to use, its features will probably be of no use and it will only cause more headaches.

How easy a virtual career fair platform is to use is ultimately up to you to figure out when reviewing that particular platform.  If you are finding it hard to understand how a platform is implemented, chances are that the platform may not be easy to use.

Ease of use is crucial for the success of your virtual event. If both your job seekers and recruiters are having trouble understanding how the platform works, you will be bombard with questions and complaints throughout the event. Of course, that’s the last thing you want. That’s why it is important for you to go for a platform that is easy to use.

When assessing the ease of use of a virtual career fair platform, consider how simple the user interface is and how your stakeholders will comprehend it. If you think that your participants are a tech savvy audience, they will probably comprehend even more complex features and even technology. However, if not, it will be critical to go for a platform that is easy to use.

  • Medium of communication

A majority of virtual career fair platforms are geared towards text chats or video chats as a medium for communications between job seekers and recruiters.  When choosing a virtual career fair platform, it is crucial for you to determine the medium of communication of the platform that you are considering.

For example, video chats are usually the best medium communication because they are more engaging and express more context than text chats. Things, such as voice intonation, dress etiquette, and overall presentation are usually lost in translation in a text-chat. On the other hand, text chats are ideal if you prefer a less formal face-to-face video based virtual fair.

Remember that the medium of communication provided by your virtual career fair platform will be vital for the networking experience that you want your participants to have.

  • Cost

Of course, another essential factor that we must not underestimate when choosing a virtual career fair platform is cost. Since there are plenty of options to choose from, virtual career fair platforms generally have different prices.

While many people tend to believe that the more expensive options will provide better quality, but this is not always the case. If you can find a virtual platform that suits your specific event scope and is easy to use, that is the perfect platform because these two features are mainly factors that determine how good a platform is. Cost should come later.

Some platforms may be insanely expensive because the features they offer – some of which may not even be necessary for your event. Some platforms may also be free but not offer effective networking options for you audience. So it is up to you to do your research for the best platform that offers features suitable for your event scope and is reasonably priced.

  • Time zone accommodation

Since recruiters and job seekers don’t have to be physically present at a virtual career fair, they may be in various locations across different time zones during the virtual fair. That’s why it is crucial for you to ensure that your virtual career fair platform accommodates different time zones.

When connecting employers or recruiters and job seekers, the platform should easily adjust time zones for different perspectives so that you don’t have to continuously communicate time zone differences to your participants.

  • Timeline

This is something that you may ignore when choosing a virtual career fair platform. But your own internal timeline for your event is equally important. When choosing a timeline for you event, you need to consider the right time to invite employers, recruiters, and job seekers. This may take as little as two weeks or as long as two months.

In addition to that, you need to ask vendors how long it will take to effectively implement their platform for your various attendees. Once you have done that, you need to make sure that the platform can be effectively executed within your own internal timeline.