Aspiring electricians and electrical engineers once polished up their resumes and visited with potential employers at job fairs. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, many of these networking events are now going virtual.

Because these events are online rather than in-person, job candidates and employers can participate from any location without the need to cover travel expenses. At the same time, students must keep many things in mind to land a job in the energy field.

According to Hire Heroes USA, candidates should be prepared for online job fairs by reviewing organizations’ profiles an advance, prioritizing which companies to speak with and deciding how to allocate their time. Also, they should prepare questions before joining a chat session and prepare an “elevator pitch” to use in private interactions with employers.

Harvard’s Office of Career Services also offered tips for students to successfully navigate virtual career fairs. For example, job candidates should do their research, practice their introductions on a Zoom call with a friend, update their resumes, and ensure that their technology is working properly.

Here are just a few of the events coming up in the energy field: 

1. EnergyCareers2020: The Center for Workforce Energy Development is presenting a virtual career event on October 21 to bring students, veterans, career changers, women and those underserved in the workforce together. The event will offer a career fair and connections with local employers for the attendees. To learn more, visit the event's website. 
2. Hire Heroes USA Veterans Virtual Career Fair: On October 22, Hire Heroes USA is presenting an online recruiting event to connect transitioning service members, U.S. military veterans and their spouses with job opportunities.
3. Engineering Career Fair Collaborative: On November 13, Harvard University, Boston University, Olin College, Tufts University, MIT and Yale University engineering students will participate in a virtual career fair. Employers will be looking for candidates for full-time and internship opportunities in fields including energy. Those companies looking to participate can registerhere.

Other colleges and universities and energy employers are also offering other events throughout the end of the year. By reaching out to the students virtually, companies are discovering talent to help them to grow their businesses in the future. 

Fischbach is a freelance writer based in Overland Park, Kan. She can be reached at [email protected].