Iowa State students and alumni will have a unique opportunity Wednesday to interact with future employers, graduate schools and other professional organizations online during the first Big XII Virtual Career Fair.

Hosting career fairs online allows organizations the ability to connect with alumni and individuals of any major from the ten Big XII Universities. The event hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the event is open to students and alumni from Big XII schools.

Amanda Schnickel, recruiting and career coordinator in the College of Human Sciences career services office, is co-coordinating the event for Iowa State.

“We tell job seekers ‘the more ways they job search the better,'” Schickel said. “This career fair provides opportunities to further your network, avoid unnecessary travel and use your search time efficiently.”

To participate in the career fair, students make a profile on the event site. Organizations can see these profiles and initiate private chats based on the individual’s resume that is uploaded to the profile.

“Once they register and log in, they can view a tutorial on how the fair works,” Schnickel said. “They can also upload a resume, see which employers will participate, and indicate which employers they would like to meet.” 

Employers or organizations also have pages that share their brand, what their company is about, links to their website and social media pages. Job posting features allow individuals to see what jobs each organization has highlighted during the event. Additionally, students can see the detail of specific jobs such as the degree type needed and the majors that are important for that job.