write its summary for no longer than one page . highlighting critical

points to consider if organizing a

virtual career fair.

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After years of hype, online recruiting is making inroads. Click on a booth, download your resum and let the interviews begin No need to wake up at the crack of dawn, no need to waste gas to get to a crowded hall and wait in long lines to see recruiters. In fact, really no need to even get out of your pyjamas. These are the advantages of a virtual job fair, which experts say are finally destined to take off- after years of more hype than reality. They're different from traditional one-on-one encounters, though, so you'll need to adjust your approach to make them work for you, the experts say. By far the most ambitious virtual career fair to date in Canada is one being run this week by Monster.ca. More than 10,000 participants signed up in advance and the free fair, which runs through Sunday, is receiving as many as 200 applications an hour, said Robert Waghorn, a spokesman for Monster.ca in Montreal. Unlike campus job fairs, this virtual fair is not aimed strictly at students, he said. Fewer than 20 per cent of those who have registered are recent entrants to the job force, another 19 per cent have up to five years experience, 37 per cent have worked for between five and 10 years, and 24 per cent have 10 years or more. To get started, participants take a compatibility test, answering questions about their skills and interests to determine which among the companies, ranging from retailing to finance, would have suitable jobs. Then, they click on the virtual booth of employers they want to pitch and download their resumes. They can also link to video presentations about the company and its work culture. Prospective employers do interviews with candidates via video and text. "An advantage for job seekers is that you can pinpoint in advance who has the right jobs for your skills and what you are looking for" Mr. Waghorn said. "When you go to a traditional job fair, you may have to walk around from booth to booth to wait a long time, only to find out an employer doesn't have any opportunities for your specialty." The virtual approach will also appeal to passive job seekers - people who might be interested in moving to a new employer and don't want to tip their hand by showing up at a physical event, Mr. Waghorn added. While the concept has been around for several years, virtual recruiting hasn't been widespread until now outside the tech industry. Early attempts ran into limits on computer capacity and by the time most people had computers capable of doing video conferencing, the economy had taken a dive and there were too few capable of doing video conferencing, the economy had taken a dive and there were too few jobs going for employers to cast a broad net, said Debbi McGrath, president of on-line human resources events producer, HR.com in Aurora, Ont. "If you talked to me only a year ago, nobody in Canada was paying to sponsor these" she said. But with the economic recovery bringing a rebound in hiring, companies are starting to embrace national on-line recruiting, both in wide- ranging events like Monster's and more specialized events for specific types of jobs. While virtual job fairs are gaining ground, the trend isn't about to sound the death knell of face- to-face encounters just yet, Ms. McGrath added. "Canadians tend not to be very innovative at trying new things." However, "those who do adapt to the new reality can gain a great advantage for the future" she said. From the employers' standpoint, the benefits are in costs and use of personnel. "When they do physical job fair, they have to pay to set up a booth and have a couple of people out of the office for a day or two. With a virtual booth, they work from their office or from home and work on company business when they are no doing interviewe" said Mark Swartz Monster ca's doing interviews," said Mark Swartz, Monster.ca's national career coach, based in Richmond Hill, Ont. "Plus, physical job fairs are limited to a very small area. If you are in Calgary, you won't see people from Manitoba or PEI. Online, the entire country becomes your domain" Mr. Swartz said. For job seekers, "you don't have to get up at 7 and get in line by half an hour in advance of the door opening. Traditional job fairs only run for one day and that limits the number of potential employers candidates can see. A virtual event can run several days, so you can take your time." However, while it can seem more informal to make your pitch over the Web, job seekers should remember, this is still a business situation and they still must be professional in their approach, Mr. Swartz cautioned "Once you've got your information into their data base, make sure your home voice-mail is set up with a business-like greeting and check in online regularly during the day to be available if potential employers want to contact you," he said. And because a fair like Monster's extends over several days, it gives you time to do some research before you make your pitch, Mr. Swartz added. "Runottinn como haclaround about their cantica and corporate culture, when you do contact them you can position yourself as a problem-solver who understands what they need and can speak their language" he said. "That makes an impression on an employer because you've taken your time to get to know them and their problems." ***** ADVICE FROM THE PROS Tips for job seekers Set realistic goals: There's a lot of competition, so don't expect to get an immediate job offer from your online resume alone. You may just want to learn about what kinds of jobs and employers suit you best for a more direct approach. Take a compatibility test: It's tempting to apply to every employer, but the test offered at registration shows you which of the participating employers are the best fit. These are the ones you should be targeting. Research beforehand: Visit the booth of every employer that you're targeting. Learn about their history, corporate culture and needs before y ~ contact them directly. Use the information to Research beforehand: Visit the booth of every employer that you're targeting. Learn about their history, corporate culture and needs before you contact them directly. Use the information to think about answers to interview questions that would apply to the positions available. Submit your resum early: Employers check their in-boxes as soon as a fair opens, so you might as well be front and centre. Proofread carefully and highlight your top accomplishments clearly Select a "low privacy" setting: Adjust your computer's settings so all participating employers can readily view your resume and can contact you, even if you haven't approached them. Install and use Skype: Employers will be interviewing people directly through this free video-calling service. Rehearse in advance so that you come across as a strong candidate on your webcam Ask relevant questions: Once you've gathered information on particular employers at their booths, make contact with those you want to follow up with and discuss something pertinent to them, such as an inquiry about their latest news or a probing question that displays you interest in their needs and highlights your ski and experience