COVID-19 has dramatically impacted higher education, forcing schools to adapt to online teaching in a matter of days. We have all witnessed how this virus is influencing our communities, our families and our way of life. While what we are facing is daunting, EFMD and Highered have mobilised forces and launched the EFMD Virtual Career Fair Series by Highered.

The EFMD Virtual Career Fair Series by Highered is the newest launch to the Global Talent Ecosystem, allowing EFMD member schools to connect their students and alumni with companies and organisations from around the globe, in a sophisticated job fair simulation environment that enables real-time interaction between recruiters and candidates.

Whether talent is seeking a graduate programme, internship or experienced hire opportunity, EFMD’s sector-specific and geographic-specific Virtual Career Fairs are the response to the global times, resulting in improved recruitment efficiency, higher attendance and a better job hunt experience.

After a successful launch of the series on 24 March with a China-focused Virtual Career Fair, the Spring series continues from 28 April to 4 June with an additional twelve fairs targeting EMEA and APAC, ranging from the general virtual fairs to specific sectors, such as FMCG/Retail/Luxury, Banking/Finance/Consulting, Tech/Telecom/e-Commerce, Energy/Industrial/Engineering and Biotech/Pharma.

The Fall Series of Virtual Career Fairs will kick-off in September and will see the addition of the Americas geographical region, as well as specialised fairs including international organisations and start-ups, finalizing during the month of December.

The EFMD Virtual Career Fair Series by Highered is a unique opportunity for students and alumni all over the world to connect with top-ranked employers. The virtual fairs replicate an actual recruiting event, where candidates and organisations alike can easily interact at sophisticated virtual stands, allowing talent to view company profiles/videos, chat with recruiters, view opportunities, apply for jobs and attend webcasts and seminars. Plus, talent can upload their CV upon registration so that recruiters have all the necessary information about their profiles when they interact during the fairs.

The overwhelmingly positive response received by EFMD schools to open the Virtual Career Fair Series to their talent, as well as that of the recruiters looking to connect with prospective candidates around the world in a matter of days, leaves me optimistic that our graduates’ outcomes will thrive once again. It’s this kind of spirit that will sustain us through the crisis and beyond, ensuring future-ready graduates with solid employer connections.

Given that such a service may prove quite costly to a single school, EFMD has worked jointly with Highered to find the most optimal way to make this service accessible for our broader EFMD membership, and are happy that participating institutions will incur only a minimal administrative fee.

Today and always we are focused on supporting our EFMD member schools, their talent and corporate partners, without whom, Career Centers and recruiting would not be possible.

As the pulse of the world will continue to beat as one to overcome COVID-19, we remain committed to our member institutions and corporate recruiters. We understand the clear need to assist in accelerating the matching of opportunities in the market with the talent in our network.

Register now for the EFMD Virtual Career Fair Series by Highered and join fellow schools and companies that are already on board.

Amber Wigmore Alvarez, PhD. Chief Innovation Officer, Highered EFMD Shared Career Services