How should a career center set up effective virtual career treks?
Define clear goals, recruit aligned and engaged employers, and design interactive sessions with Q&A, breakout rooms, and tours. Promote across channels, collect feedback and key metrics to show impact, and refine the format for next time.
Virtual career treks are a powerful way to expand access and flexibility for students, offering opportunities to connect with employers and explore industries without leaving campus.
Yet, a survey revealed a significant gap: only 27% of undergraduate students used their career centers for career planning, and just 19% turned to them for networking.
Virtual treks can help bridge this divide, but setting them up effectively requires thoughtful planning.
If your career center is ready to embrace this approach, here are 5 practical steps to ensure your virtual treks deliver value for students and employers alike.
1. Identify Clear Goals for the Event
Before diving into logistics, define what you want to achieve with the virtual career trek.
- Are you aiming to connect students with specific industries or employers?
- Do you want to improve engagement among underserved student populations?
- Is your focus on showcasing companies from diverse locations?
Setting clear goals helps steer decisions around employer partnerships, session formats, and promotional strategies.
Just as important is preparing students thoroughly for career treks to ensure meaningful engagement.
Pro Tip: Align the event goals with your career center’s strategic priorities, such as increasing internship placements or diversifying employer connections.
Also Read: 5 ways to boost student engagement in career treks
2. Partner with Engaged Employers
Successful virtual career treks depend on enthusiastic employer participation. Reach out to companies that align with your students’ career aspirations and showcase a variety of industries, job roles, and organizational cultures.
Highlight the benefits of virtual treks for employers, such as:
- Access to a diverse student audience without the logistical challenges of in-person visits.
- A platform to showcase their company culture and opportunities effectively.
Encourage employers to bring recent hires, including alumni, to make the sessions relatable and engaging for students.
Pro Tip: Start with companies that already have a strong connection to your institution, then expand outreach to new employers.
Also Read: 5 ways to build strong employer partnerships for career treks
3. Design an Interactive Format
The key to keeping students engaged during a virtual career trek is interaction. Avoid lengthy presentations and instead incorporate:
- Live Q&A Sessions: Allow students to ask direct questions to employees and recruiters.
- Breakout Rooms: Host small-group discussions for more personalized interactions.
- Virtual Tours: Use pre-recorded videos or live walkthroughs of office spaces, labs, or work sites.
- Interactive Tools: Polls, quizzes, and real-time surveys can add a dynamic, interactive layer to your event. In fact, 81.8% of virtual event organizers use polling to boost engagement.
Pro Tip: Encourage students to prepare thoughtful questions in advance to foster meaningful discussions.
Also Read: Reasons Why Career Treks Transform Career Exploration
4. Promote the Event Effectively
To maximize attendance, create a multi-channel promotion plan that highlights the event’s value to students.
Use email newsletters, social media posts, campus announcements, and direct outreach through professors and student organizations.
Focus on addressing what’s in it for them:
- Gain insight into specific industries and roles
- Network directly with recruiters and employees
- Access opportunities to stand out in competitive job markets
Include clear instructions on how to sign up and what to expect during the event.
Pro Tip: Use student testimonials from previous career treks to build excitement and credibility.
Also Read: Is Hiration a better alternative to VMock?
5. Collect Feedback and Measure Success
Post-event evaluation is critical to improving future virtual treks. Collect feedback from both students and employers to identify what worked well and what could be improved.
Key metrics to track include:
- Number of students who attended
- Engagement levels (e.g., questions asked, interactions in breakout rooms)
- Student satisfaction through post-event surveys
- Employer feedback on the quality of interactions and student preparedness
Use this data to refine your processes, strengthen employer partnerships, and demonstrate the impact of virtual treks to stakeholders.
Pro Tip: Share success stories, such as students landing internships or jobs through connections made during the event, to highlight the trek’s value.
Bonus Tips for a Flawless Execution
- Test Technology: Conduct a trial run to ensure all platforms and tools work smoothly.
- Create a Guide: Share a simple agenda and instructions for accessing the virtual trek.
- Have a Backup Plan: Prepare for technical glitches with alternative ways to connect (e.g., phone lines).
Also Read: Hiration vs BigInterview: the better alternative for your carer center
Wrapping Up
Virtual career treks are transforming the way career centers connect students with employers, offering unmatched flexibility, scalability, and inclusivity.
By following these 5 best practices, you can create meaningful experiences that help students explore industries, build networks, and gain critical insights into their future careers.
At Hiration, we make it easy to scale the impact of your virtual treks.
Our AI-powered tools equip students with everything they need to stand out - whether it’s building optimized resumes or practicing for interviews.
Trusted by over 100 institutions such as NYU Stern and Tuck at Dartmouth, our platform increases student engagement by up to 5x.
See the impact for yourself and book a live demo today. With no setup fees and a free pilot, we’ll help you create a seamless career services experience that sets your students up for success.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
What is a virtual career trek?
Virtual career treks are a powerful way to expand access and flexibility for students, offering opportunities to connect with employers and explore industries without leaving campus.
-
How do you set clear goals for a virtual career trek?
Define goals, such as connecting students with specific industries or employers, improving engagement among underserved populations, or showcasing companies from diverse locations. Just as important is preparing students thoroughly for career treks to ensure meaningful engagement.
-
How do you choose employers for a virtual career trek?
Reach out to companies that align with your students’ career aspirations and showcase a variety of industries, job roles, and organizational cultures. Encourage employers to bring recent hires, including alumni.
-
How do you design an interactive virtual career trek?
Avoid lengthy presentations and instead incorporate live Q&A sessions, breakout rooms, virtual tours, and interactive tools. In fact, 81.8% of virtual event organizers use polling to boost engagement.
-
How should you promote a virtual career trek?
Create a multi-channel promotion plan and use email newsletters, social media posts, campus announcements, and direct outreach through professors and student organizations. Include clear instructions on how to sign up and what to expect during the event.
-
Which metrics should you track to measure virtual career trek success?
Track number of students who attended, engagement levels, student satisfaction through post-event surveys, and employer feedback on the quality of interactions and student preparedness.
-
Who should employers bring to make virtual trek sessions relatable?
Encourage employers to bring recent hires, including alumni, to make the sessions relatable and engaging for students.
-
What common mistakes should you avoid when running virtual career treks?
Avoid lengthy presentations, conduct a trial run to ensure all platforms and tools work smoothly, and prepare for technical glitches with alternative ways to connect.
-
How do virtual career treks benefit employers compared to in-person visits?
Employers gain access to a diverse student audience without the logistical challenges of in-person visits and a platform to showcase their company culture and opportunities effectively.
-
How do you collect feedback after a virtual career trek?
Post-event evaluation is critical; collect feedback from both students and employers to identify what worked well and what could be improved.
