ACS Launches Virtual Career Fair

ON JUNE 8–12, ACS Careers will host its first virtual career fair. The online event is free and open to any job seeker looking for a science-related position.

Registered participants with access to a computer will be able to create a profile, upload a résumé, and set up interviews with employers by phone or with a webcam. They can also participate in a career workshop, similar to those held at national meetings, by watching a live webinar. ACS members receive additional benefits, such as one-on-one consulting sessions with ACS career coaches.

Given the economic downturn, these virtual career fairs make a lot of sense, says Liane Gould, manager of career services for ACS Careers. "Some of the smaller employers find it prohibitive to take on the cost of actually going to our national meetings and doing the career fairs," she says. "This will allow them to participate. A lot of the jobs are going to be in the small companies, especially right now."

Cheryl Mathews, product manager for ACS Careers, stresses that these virtual career fairs complement the on-site career fairs that take place during the national meetings and will never replace them. "The face-to-face interactions are always richer. You've got the verbal and nonverbal communication, where, virtually, you're going to miss some of that," she says. "But at the same time, we're trying to experiment with tools, such as real-time webcam interviews, to limit the disadvantages."

ACS Careers has been experimenting with online delivery platforms for the past year. For example, the ACS Careers Industry Forum hosts a monthly teleconference during which leaders in the chemical sciences speak about trends affecting employment, and ACS Careers recently began offering job seekers the ability to interview with employers via webcam. "The better we get at this coupling of face-to-face events with virtual events, the better position we'll be in for the future," Mathews says.

Job seekers can register for the virtual career fair by visiting www.acs.org/careers and clicking on the box on the right-hand side that reads, "Save the Date! ACS Virtual Career Fair."