State holds ‘virtual job fair’ Tuesday

LANSING – The State of Michigan, one of the first states in the nation to bring job seekers and employers together in a live virtual environment, will host a MiVirtualCareerFair career networking event on Wednesday, April 24, from 10 am to 4 pm.

“Michigan businesses are growing and they’re looking for top talent,” said Amy Cell, Senior Vice President for Talent Enhancement at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).  “MiVirtualCareerFair allows individuals from anywhere in the country to connect with Michigan employers, and provides busy business professionals an easy, cost-effective way to meet dozens of talented job seekers without ever leaving the office.”

MiVirtualCareerFair allows employers to connect with top talent and gives job seekers the opportunity to apply for dozens of available positions without the inconvenience and expense of traditional job fairs.  Since the first MiVirtualCareerFair event in February 2012, more than 80 employers and more than 6,000 job seekers have been connected.

Within MiVirtualCareerFair, employers host exhibitor booths that include links to job postings, company profiles, employee benefits, and employer contact information, and allow job seekers to communicate one-on-one with company representatives. Post-event, employers receive in-depth analytics including candidate resumes, applications, chat transcripts, and booth visit data. All job openings posted during the fair will be accessible to participants for 30 days after the live event.

The April 24 MiVirtualCareerFair event will provide an opportunity to:

  • Connect and interact with recruiters and business owners from wherever you are, avoiding the time and expense of traditional career fairs.
  • Review available positions and submit resumes for multiple job listings.
  • Meet and interact with other job seekers in the Networking Lounge.
  • View informational videos in the Auditorium.
  • Use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to search for connections and update your status from within the event.

Participation is free for job seekers, who can register, view informational videos on the virtual environment, and learn how to navigate within the environment here.  To view a brief video on MiVirtualCareerFair, click here.

These employers will take part in the April MiVirtualCareerFair and will be looking to fill a wide range of positions:

  • Armstrong International, Inc. (engineers, planners)
  • Center Manufacturing (maintenance, general laborers, welder, product designer, and more)
  • Computech Corporation (programmers, software engineers, analysts, technical writer, and more)
  • CWC Textron (accountant, skilled trades, quality engineer, and more)
  • Dürr Systems, Inc. (engineers, installation technician, project manager)
  • E.L. Hollingsworth & Company (drivers)
  • Protect Cell (project manager, application development manager, senior web development manager, web designer)
  • Search Optics (account manager, digital marketing specialist, web designer, and more)
  • TechSmith Corporation (new media recruiter, user experience manager, software engineers, internships, and more)

Five more MiVirtualCareerFair events are scheduled for 2013:

  • Wednesday, June 26, 2013
  • Wednesday, August 28, 2013
  • Wednesday, September 25, 2013
  • Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Employers interested in a hosting a booth in one of the upcoming MiVirtualCareerFair events are encouraged to contact Joe Quick, Manager of Talent Acquisition for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation at quickj@michigan.org.  For information on employer participation fees and options and to view a MiVirtualCareerFair demo, visit here.

“The State of Michigan is committed to helping Michigan businesses solve their talent challenges, and we’re implementing innovative new approaches to connect job seekers with available opportunities,” Cell said.  “MiVirtualCareerFair is an effective tool for delivering top talent right to an employer’s doorstep from anywhere in the world.”

The MEDC markets the state with a focus on business, talent, jobs and helping to grow the economy. For more on MEDC and its initiatives, visit: MichiganAdvantage.org.