Virtual Job Fair: Thursday May 22nd 2025

Image text reads: Are you a UK business? Can your team work fully remote? Are you looking for your next superstar? Join our Virtual Job Fair on Thursday 22nd May between 11.30am-2pm for just £25.00, and receive facilitated engagement and ongoing support. Email theproductivepessimist@yahoo.com. Jobseekers looking for remote roles can join for free!" Image shows a diverse range of people in a relaxed, multi-focus remote working environment.

What is a Virtual Job Fair?
You know those horrible hiring events where, if you're an employer, you stand around all day, collect dozens of grimy, tattered CVs with appalling grammar, and maybe have one good conversation with a really promising individual...who then never reaches out to you again, despite taking a business card, and actually asking your name? Or, if you're a jobseeker, you're cattle-crowded through a hot, airless space chock-full of bodies and sweat, where the only options seem to be the care sector, the Army, the Police (both in full uniform, which is...a bit intimidating, honestly...) and a random "graduates only" accountancy firm whose booth staff look like they believe they're too good for any of this?

Yeah...a Virtual Job Fair is completely different to that.

It's focused on companies who are all about flexibility, who understand the needs of today's market, and today's market-makers, and who treat their potential superstars as equals.

For employers, it offers people at their relaxed, fully engaged best, who can have all their portfolios and resources immediately to hand.

Virtual Job Fairs make it easy to instantly add each other on LinkedIn - so that, even if the right opportunity isn't available just now, the talent you're talking to can remain in engaged conversation, and be alerted as soon as a relevant role becomes available.

By dynamically seeing what kind of talent is out there, companies are able to create roles around the people they've met - because you may not know you need Amira's off-the-wall creativity until you get to engage with her. You may see Jas, and realise you have to create a new product or service for them, specifically, to promote to the market. You may realise that Tony's quiet, focused grit is exactly the balance your team needs, even though you don't have a role for a remote-working introvert yet.

For jobseekers, virtual job fairs allow multiple conversations to take place at once, with immediate culture research carried out on the go, so you can compare and contrast your options in real time.

We'll be hosting May's Virtual Job Fair via Google Meets, with a link sent to registered attendees 24hrs ahead. Why Google Meets, and not Zoom? Simply because, as an emerging business ourselves, with limited budget, it's more affordable for us at this time - and we'd rather put our resources into the experience than the platform.

What should I wear?
Whatever you're comfortable in that represents you at your best - but no nudity or crass slogans, please!

If you do your best work suited and booted, come looking sharp. If jeans and a hoodie are the portal to your best ideas, just make sure they're clean!

Talent-seekers - represent your company's culture. People are typically visually orientated, and we often decide in under 3 seconds whether we feel comfortable with someone, and want to have more focused engagement with them; dress as though this is the only chance you'll have to make any impression - because you don't get a second chance to make the right first impression.

What should I have to hand?
> LinkedIn profile.
> Portfolio.
> Link to a company or personal website (depending on whether you're talent, or a talent-seeker.)
> The willingness for people to just have a conversation with you to get through the recruitment door; they can email you over their proof of National Insurance number, name, and address, as well as any absolutely legally necessary qualifications.
> An open mind.

How do I sign up?
Drop us an email at theproductivepessimist@yahoo.com, or sign up at Eventbrite.

When is it again?
Thursday, May 22nd, from 11.30am-2pm.

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