Graduate Careers Australia
ergo - Number 94 March 2004
The Virtual Careers Fair - On again in 2006
The Virtual Careers Fair (VCF) has quickly become an institution in the Australasian graduate recruitment scene. It is the only national careers fair which offers access to students all round the country and overseas by virtue of being online, and has the backing of most of the largest tertiary institutions in Australia. It offers an easily affordable method for graduate employers to make contact with proactive job-seekers, as well as raise their profile among the student/graduate population.
Background
The 2006 Virtual Careers Fair is a ten day, online careers fair which will run from Wednesday 1-10 March. The event will provide an interactive meeting place for graduates, students and employers, and provide students with the ability to explore future employment options with organisations all over Australia and New Zealand. Students can attend forums run by expert presenters, participate in chat sessions, win door prizes and play the 'Virtual Interview' Game.
Employers can advertise details such as the industries they conduct business in, the location of positions offered, the types of degrees sought and skills required and application details. Additionally, their company logo and website can be profiled, testimonials from current graduate staff included and PDF brochures made available.
Employers can also participate interactively at the VCF by hosting forums in a simple ‘chat room’ style, providing personalised contact with interested parties.
Why a Virtual Careers Fair?
The VCF offers organisations the opportunity to raise their profile and promote their employment programs to graduates and students, through a cost-effective and wide reaching event. The VCF also offers organisations an innovative medium to present themselves through online 'Hosted Forums'.
Importantly the event offers all students the ability to be exposed to the same opportunities no matter what their location, schedule or study type, removing past inequalities in the graduate recruitment market. This has particular importance for regional students, external students and metropolitan students who are unable to attend their own university’s 'physical' careers fair.
The VCF gives students the ability to follow direct links to online application forms quickly and efficiently, and in 2006 is the largest event of its type in Australia and New Zealand.
Who’s Involved?
The VCF is an initiative of the University of New England, originally funded in recognition of the specific issues confronting university graduates in regional locations. It has secured sponsorship and support from both SEEK and Graduate Careers Australia, respectively Australia and New Zealand’s most visited employment website and the official graduate website of Australia’s universities.
VCF 2005 Outcomes
In 2005, 18,527 individuals were identified as visitors to the VCF, with 89 per cent of visits occurring during weekdays and the average length of each visit approximately 24 minutes. There were 90 exhibitors from the public and private sectors, and students from 120 institutions came to the site.
More Information
For information about the 2006 Virtual Careers Fair, to register as an exhibitor, to download the flyer for employers or to check out the full report from last year’s event, visit the VCF page on the this website at . If you would like to discuss sponsorship please contact Rhonda Leece on (02) 6773 3408 or [email protected]
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Graham Watson
Publications & Communications, GCA
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