Online job fair draws almost 1,500

Mary Paramore
HBL Associate Editor
Jan. 8, 2010

Given the standing room only crowd at SWN’s brick and mortar job fair at the Richlin Ballroom in September and the county’s present dearth of large group meeting space, virtual job fairs may be more common in Harford County.

Harford County’s first Virtual Job Fair was a resounding success. Sponsored by the Susquehanna Workforce Network (SWN) and Army Alliance Inc., the online event took place Dec. 10-20 and attracted almost 1,500 job applicants for more than 300 positions.

Here’s how it worked: SWN selected a vendor to provide a Web site dedicated to the job fair. The group then solicited employers, concentrating, according to a news release, “on firms with national reputation and local presence,” and organized jobs in four occupational specialties – acquisition, engineering, technology and general occupations. SWN also promoted the virtual job fair to job seekers.

The site went live at 12:01 a.m. Dec. 10 and offered 24/7 access to job seekers. At the Web address, they found corporate promotional videos and links to specific jobs within those companies. Job seekers applied for these jobs through the Web site and scheduled Web-based, live-chat interviews with hiring managers who agreed to be available online at specific times during the 11-day period.

“It was just like a regular job fair, but online,”
said Sylvia Matusiak, a SWN business services representative. She believes the event was the first of its kind in Harford County, and is definitely the first in this workforce region.
She said SWN Executive Director Bruce England came across the idea and wanted to try it. More than 4,800 visitors took a look-see during the Virtual Job Fair’s inaugural run.

Given the standing room only crowd at SWN’s brick and mortar job fair at the Richlin Ballroom in September and the county’s present dearth of large group meeting space, virtual job fairs may be more common in Harford County.

In the news release, SWN officials said, “The increased volume of hiring demands in often specialized technical positions by local businesses necessitated the deployment of innovative strategies to attract high skilled workers to these occupations. This first venture into innovation is regarded as a huge success. As a result of the events success, the Susquehanna Workforce Network, Inc. anticipates offering future Virtual Job Fairs in addition to the menu of traditional job fairs offered in the region.”