Once again, JobLeads is hosting its annual virtual IT Job Fair on May 6, 2020. It brings together a vast amount of innovative companies and talented IT professionals. Joining me is JobLeads sales manager and contributing organiser of the Virtuelle IT Jobmesse 2020, Susanne Hamer.
Susanne, could you please tell me a little bit more about the Virtuelle IT Jobmesse 2020?
Of course, gladly. We are hosting the virtual IT Job Fair 2020 for the 11th time. The special feature of the fair is that the company representatives as well as the candidates can control everything from their own PC, tablet or smartphone and thus can take part no matter their location.
It all started in April 2012, when we opened the virtual gates for the first time with 11 participating companies. The fair grew and more and more companies and candidates took part in the fair. Since then, we have been working together with our technology partner, meetyoo GmbH, who provides the platform for us and designs exhibitors’ booths and fills them with content such as job offers, company videos and other important links and documents. Meanwhile, on average, more than 35 companies and over 1000 candidates attend our fair every year.
What makes this year so different?
We have completely redesigned our 2019 Jubilee Fair and included new functionalities for both candidates and companies. We will continue to expand this for 2020.
Candidates can connect with corporate avatars via live or video chat. It is therefore possible for the visitors to exchange their CV or their profile with their desired employer in just one click and to network with each other. Beforehand, candidates have the opportunity to arrange a chat date with the exhibitors, allowing you to optimally prepare for the chat conversation in advance. Exciting programme items, such as video lectures by companies, live circuits and tips and tricks for planning your own career through our career experts, round off the day.
Could you give us some information about the venue?
The special thing about the virtual fair is that the fair does not take place at any specific location, but is accessible online for everyone on the web. We mainly address experienced candidates from the fields of IT and tech who are often on the job and have little time to go to classic offline career fairs and exchange views. Nowadays, it is important to showcase the candidate and to approach IT specialists in innovative ways, far from the classic job ad. Therefore, it is not uncommon for us to attract the attention of international employers, including candidates from abroad, such as Austria, Switzerland, France, England or even India and Australia. In addition to a virtual entrance hall and an auditorium, there will be 3 showrooms at the fair where the virtual exhibition stands are located.
How do job seekers and companies take part?
The fair is free of charge for all participating candidates. Prior to the event, only a short registration via our website is necessary.
Before the fair visitors will receive an event reminder with all the relevant information for the day of the fair, which starts at 9 am and ends at 6 pm CET. All interested companies still have the opportunity to register as exhibitors by the end of March 2020. Further information as well as the registration form can be requested via the contact page.
How many companies are expected to be there?
Currently, seven companies have already registered for the fair. Volkswagen Group Services GmbH, freenet AG, GS1 Germany GmbH, Jochen Schweizer mydays Holding GmbH, AKOA GmbH, VHV Gruppe and AT Solution Partner GmbH from Austria have already signed up. We expect around 35-40 exhibitors at the upcoming trade fair.
What are the benefits of organising a job fair focused on IT?
I think that the target group of experienced candidates in the IT sector are brilliatly suited to these online channels. Who, if not IT people, are predestined for such innovative events? 😉 Every day, we use smartphones, tablets and computers for several hours to communicate, share and quickly obtain information. With the fair we try to make this even easier for all IT-candidates. We are pleased that the online trade fair is so well received by this target group. We receive productive feedback fair after fair and are grateful for any tips or criticism to make the fair better.
What can the IT professionals expect from this job fair?
Visitors can look forward to a varied day with an exciting pool of companies. Because of the many companies from various industries, you may meet an employer that you hadn’t even heard of before. We strive to provide additional input in our auditorium each year. Informative lectures, video contributions, live circuits and group chats invite visitors to participate and take a deeper look behind the scenes of our companies. In addition, we will work together again with career experts who will give visitors new input on relevant career topics.
What would you say to IT companies who are thinking of attending?
I would tell them that they should definitely try it once. 😊 As soon as the company’s attendance is confirmed, we look closely at the exhibitor’s jobs and directly address suitable candidates to invite to the fair. In addition to their own booth, companies can book additional attractive options, such as; their own programme item in the auditorium, a thank you newsletter which will be sent to all booth visitors after the fair, as well as a candidate database both in advance and during the fair.
What were some of the highlights of the event over the past few years?
We are pleased that over the past few years we have been able to attract more than 1000 candidates to the fair and that we have seen many exhibitors returning year after year. This shows us that the IT Job Fair is well received and companies can be successful in recruiting new talent. Companies are becoming ever more creative with their booths as well as in programme events. Companies often record informative videos about their IT department, projects and job offers for the fair. The best feedback for us is when we have successfully brought candidates and companies together.
Do you have any advice for people looking to progress their IT career?
I think it’s important to get informed and stay up-to-date. Candidates should actively work on their IT careers, instead of waiting for offers. There are now many platforms to look for jobs, but it is important to get tailor-made job suggestions and find out the right provider. At jobleads.com we support our premium members in finding jobs and networking with suitable employers and headhunters. We also invite all JobLeads IT candidates to the fair.
Thank you for telling us more about this wonderful event.
We look forward to welcoming you to the fair. Don’t miss the opportunity to find that next great candidate or level up your career.