Syracuse University students won’t need to bring their black suits and printed resumes to one of the next career fairs on campus. Instead, students can find a job from the comfort of their computer chairs.

SU, along with eight other schools in the Big East conference, agreed to participate in the Blue Chip virtual career fair for the first time in the three years that the fair has existed. The University of Connecticut, the University of South Florida and Seton Hall University have also agreed to participate in the fair.

The Blue Chip fair, which will run for 30 days starting April 15, will feature 25 national employers, including IBM and Hertz.

Unicruit, the company that started the Blue Chip fair, is offering an option that will appeal more to students, said Kevin O’Brien, the company’s founder and chief executive officer.

‘It gives them more opportunities. There are about 3,000 students that go to career fairs. Each candidate will not be remembered. (Employers) are basically gathering resumes,’ O’Brien said. ‘Once we launch the service, students can go in at their leisure, they can go to job postings, ask questions, they can interact with employers from the comfort of their own home.’

Students register for the career fair on Unicruit’s Web site. They then create a profile about themselves and see job postings submitted by employers. Employers set up their own accounts in the virtual lobby to meet with the students. After employers receive students’ resumes online they can arrange for a video chat interview.

Students can also interact with other students from different Big East schools. Unicruit has set up a student lounge in their software where students can talk with one another.

A virtual career fair will also give employers a more cost-efficient way of connecting with students across the country, O’Brien said.

‘We have employers that want to be more sustainable. We have employers that don’t want to spend too many funds with going to career fairs. Now employers can eliminate travel,’ he said.

The Big East Career Consortium, an organization that combines career services from all Big East schools, offers similar virtual career fair opportunities, said Mike Cahill, director of the SU Center for Career Services. Though the purpose is similar, he said, the Blue Chip fair has a more sophisticated look and more details like virtual booths and the ability to interact online.

Cahill said virtual career fairs are becoming more popular with employers because of the low cost.

‘With the companies experiencing the tight times, they are being a bit more efficient. It costs money to send representatives,’ he said. ‘Employers are always looking for ways to streamline costs.’

There are downsides, however, to having the fair be completely online, Cahill said. The completely online process may appeal to students who are experienced with technology, but as with any technology, some students might feel uncomfortable using it, he said. Cahill said he does not want the career fair to favor one group of students over another.

The Blue Chip career fair is allowing SU to experiment with technology to benefit students, Cahill said. The reaction that Career Services sees from the fair will determine whether or not the university will continue them.

‘I want to know how students will respond to it,’ he said. ‘The world is changing every day, and technology is becoming a better part of it.’

smtracey@syr.edu

Published on January 19, 2010 at 12:00 pm