Careers Fair Plus app

Careers Network have partnered with Career Fair Plus to host this year’s virtual Career Fairs.

Virtual career fairs are online 'events' that allow employers and students to meet in virtual environments such as through voice calls or video chat rooms. You will have the opportunity to meet with a wider range of employers, some of whom may not typically attend an all-day on-site event and save valuable time which can be used on employer research and practicing elevator pitches.

Ahead of the fair, schedule one-to-one or group meetings with employers to ask questions about the employer, their opportunities or their industry. Please note that these meetings are not interviews but informal chats.

Find a brief description of each employer exhibiting at the fair, filter what kind of opportunities they have on offer (e.g. internships, visa sponsorship) and connect with them on their social media channels.

You’ll find it all in one place on Career Fair Plus. Follow this guide to ensure you're ready and set up for success!

Prior to the Virtual Fair

Setting up

Download the Career Fair Plus app to your phone. Click here to download to iOS, or click here to download for Android or view the Fair on your desktop.
Open the app/page, and navigate to the University of Birmingham and the fair you are attending.

Create an account

You can start looking through the employers that will be attending your virtual fair without needing to create an account. When you're ready to start scheduling meetings with employers, you will need to create an account and build your profile. It is important you create your account using your University email address (@bham.ac.uk, @student.bham.ac.uk, @alumni.bham.ac.uk) or you will be unable to access the meeting schedules.
Watch this video to see how.

Make sure you build a complete profile that includes your CV as well as other relevant information. This is the profile employers will see when you book meetings with them, so you want to make a good impression!

Scheduling meetings

As you browse the employers who will be at the virtual fair, you can schedule virtual one-to-one or group meetings. These meetings are not interviews but it will useful to have short description about yourself prepared and make sure you research the employer before your meeting. They will expect you to know who they are and what they do.

IMPORTANT: The Autumn Careers Fair is a two day event, most employers will have meetings available one day or the other.

Tap on the employer you are would like to meet with and then tap 'View Meetings' to see the schedules they have available
Select the schedule that you're interested in; employers may have multiple schedules and you can decide if you want to meet the employer one-to-one or in a group.
If you are booking a one-to-one meeting, select a time that works for you, and hit 'YES' to book the meeting time. For group meetings, you do not need to select a specific time slot, you can join on the day at any time between the meeting times.

If you are not signed in, you will be prompted to sign in. If you have not yet created an account, you must do so at this stage in order to book meetings.

Don't forget, meetings are scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis, so if there is an employer you want to meet with, don't wait to book a meeting with them!

Group meetings vs one-to-one meetings

Group meeting features

No specific time slot to choose
Can join the meeting at any point within the meeting times
Possibility of other people being in the meeting or speaking with multiple recruiters
Designed to be a less formal meeting, like a drop-in or tabling event

One-to-one meeting features

Must choose the desired time slot
Must join at your designated time
You will be the only person during this meeting
Can be more formal given the private nature of the interaction

Always be sure to read each schedule description as each employer will provide further details on what each meeting may be for.

The day before the Virtual Fair

Open the app/webpage and log into your account.
Make sure you can access your virtual meeting schedule.
Check the interaction type listed under the schedule for each of your meetings. You can view this by clicking through to the schedule, and checking under the employer name.
For Schedules using Career Fair Plus's in-built Video Meeting Rooms

IMPORTANT: If the interaction type says Video Meeting, the appointment will take place on our integrated video meeting platform. In this case, please click Join Meeting from one of your scheduled meetings and test that your video and microphone are working. You may need to grant/request permissions if it is the first time you are using the platform.

If you have issues, please contact support@careerfairplus.com

For Schedules without Career Fair Plus's in-built Video Meeting Rooms

Make sure you check the interaction type, so you know what to expect on the day of the fair, whether it's a phone call, or an external link (Zoom, Skype, etc). If there are additional instructions provided on the schedule for candidates, these might give further details about how you can expect the recruiter to contact you.

IMPORTANT: You will receive an email the day before the fair with reminders about your upcoming meetings, complete with links to the video meeting rooms for your meetings. You can click the links to join on the web on your desktop computer/laptop on the day of the fair for a smoother experience, and do not need to join through your phone.

On the day of the Virtual Fair

You're all set to go! On the day of the fair, follow these three simple steps:

Log into the app or webpage and sign into your account
Access your virtual meeting schedule and meet with employers (via the app or the web!)
Use the app to help you track your meetings and make notes

Here's a video walk-through of a virtual fair using our in-built video meeting rooms to help you better prepare!