What is the Online ChristianJobFair.com?
Online or what are also called virtual job fairs vary from a website with lists of employers and links to their career/job pages to ones that feature a virtual environment made to look like a traditional job fair. The employer “booths” often provide chat rooms and video conversations.
The ChristianJobFair.com (CJF) is a hybrid of these two types of job fairs. CJF has the largest collection of ministry employers on the Internet along with descriptions and links to their employment pages that can be explored at the jobseeker’s own pace. Also, some employers will provide opportunities for scheduled events for interviews by chat, phone and video.
In addition to finding ministry jobs, the online virtual CJF, along with the ChristianCareerCenter.com, offers job seeker resources including successful resume writing guidelines, interviewing assistance, career assessments to find work that fit your God-given design, job search strategies to find jobs in the “hidden” job market, interviewing assistance and much more.
Start by Registering at ChristianJobFair.com
By registering at the ChristianJobFair.com, you will receive advance notice on upcoming virtual Christian job fairs. You will learn about ministries, their jobs and opportunities to schedule introductory interviews. You will also receive our best job search content to find work you love and feel called to do.
Here are 15 tips to help you get the most from ChristianJobFair.com:
- Just like an in-person job fair, you can learn more about ministries and their job openings. Search by keywords, categories and locations. Many ministries will have jobs in the United States as well as in various parts of the world.
- Identify the needs you are interested in helping to meet and the Christian ministries who are focused on meeting those needs. Needs can include:
Financial Stewardship, Bible Translation, World Missions, Media &Video , Information Technology (IT), Rescue Missions, Sports Ministry, Television/Radio/Film , Apologetics, Developing Leaders, Senior/ElderCare, Drug/Alcohol Addition Counseling, Helping Those with Eating Disorders, Fighting Human Trafficking, Child Advocacy , Arts Ministry, Prison Ministry , Pro-life Ministries , Bible Translation, Men’s Ministry, Women’s Ministry, Seminaries , Publishing, Evangelism, Business, Literacy Training, Relief to Hurting Communities, Caring for Children and Orphans, Education, K-12, Colleges/Universities, Campus Ministry , Sales/Marketing/Advertising, Medical Healthcare for the Poor, Marriage and Family Ministry , Counseling for Mental Health and Well-being, Mission Aviation, Helping those with Disabilities, Chaplain Ministry , Camps and more.
(Are you unsure about the work God is calling you to do? If so, check out our career counseling and career testing services and then schedule a free career services consultation. We can help you to find work you will love to do.)
3. Each ministry has its own listing and description. Learn more about the ministry and then click on “View Current Jobs.” This will take you to the jobs/careers for each ministry. There you can identify any jobs that are of interest and learn how to apply.
4. Next, before applying to openings, research the organizations for each job by reading their description at ChristianJobFair.com and the “About Us” section at their website. In addition to this, you can look for reviews of the ministry at Glassdoor.com and Indeed.com. Don’t let the fact that you don’t have to travel for a job fair lure you into thinking that you can go in and wing it. You’ll still need to treat a virtual job fair just as you would an in-person one. And that means researching any ministry that is of interest. Your research will prepare you to talk intelligently about why you are interested in their ministry and ask pertinent questions. You will stand out other applicants who know little about the organizations that they are approaching.
5. Tailor your resume for the job that is of interest. You can learn how to do by reading 14 Keys to Writing a Winning Resume For Ministry Jobs and Church Openings. Tailoring your resume can include re-organizing the bullets in your “Highlights of Qualifications” section or your job duties. (For example, if you know a company requires its administrative assistants to be proficient in Excel, and you have that proficiency, you will probably want to highlight that in the first part of your resume.) If you are uncertain about what types of jobs you should be targeting, the career counseling and career testing services of the ChristianCareerCenter.com can help you find the work you were designed to do! In addition to career counseling, we also have developed the CareerFitTest.com which will help you assess your transferable, personal and content skills, link you to jobs that fit your results and help you to do the best job search possible.
6. Practice to make a good first impression. Employers will often make decisions about a candidate in the first couple of minutes of an interview. Do your best to be prepared. If you are going to be interviewed online through Skype or another platform, dress appropriately and be well-groomed. Before the video interview, practice answering questions through an online system, with a friend and/or in front of a mirror. Make sure that your lighting is good, your audio and video connections are working, you have good eye contact with your computer’s camera, and you are smiling as you start the video interview. At My Interview Practice you can set up a free 30-day trial to practice your interviewing and receive guidance for more effectively communicating how you can meet the employers needs.
7. Get Dressed to Impress. While you may not be interacting by video with employers it still can be helpful for your mindset by dressing up while interacting with employers at the CJF. And of course, if you are interacting with employers by video, be sure to dress as you would for an in person interview.
8. Double check your technology for video interviews and audio meetings through your computer. Test your audio and video. You want your skills and experience to be showcased in your interview—and not your lack of being prepared with your wife working as well as audio and video. As you are testing your computer, make sure that you have staged the background to not be distracting and to look professional.
9. While you can engage with employers anywhere on your phone or laptop computer, that doesn’t mean you should. Ideally, it is best to be in your office where you can interview without distractions.
10. Smile and look into the camera for video interviews. A mistake to avoid is looking at the person interviewing you instead of the webcam. By doing this allow with frequently smiling you will come across as warm, friendly and professional. Even if your interview is by chat or phone it is still good to smile as you answer questions. This will energize you and keep you upbeat and positive which the employer will notice.
11. Have some questions that you can ask the employer. Examples of questions for an employer are: “What problems would you like to see the person in this position address/solve within the next year?” and “How is “success” evaluated in this position?”
12. During initial screening interviews, ask for a second interview. Ask the recruiter/employer for an appraisal of your qualifications: “How do I compare with the other candidates you are seeing?” If you receive favorable feedback, and if you are interested in working for the ministry, let the recruiter know: “I am very interested in this position, and I believe I could do the job well. Can we schedule a second interview?” If the second interview has been arranged, thank the recruiter for his time, express your enthusiasm for the ministry and position, and your appreciation for the opportunity to be considered further.
13. Do follow-up work. Following up is an easy way to stand out from the crowd because few people take the time or make the effort. Be one of the few! Whether or not the recruiter has arranged the second interview, send a thank-you note to him or her. This can be by email but it is also good to send an actual written note. If you are waiting to hear about a second interview, thank the recruiter for his/her time, remind her of your interest and qualifications, and request again the opportunity for a second interview.
14. Have the right mindset. Tom Jackson, a job search expert, describes the job search process as looking like this: No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No….YES! Everyone hears no’s when interviewing. Try not to take it personally. When you are practicing the best job search activities, every no is getting you closer to hearing a YES!
15. Daily commit your job search activities to God asking for encouragement, strength, wisdom and persistence. Here is a prayer that you can use for your job search. Heavenly Father, thank You for always taking care of my needs. Thank You for creating me “fearfully and wonderfully” in Your image. I thank you for Your great love for me and my family. As I explore jobs, I pray that You would give me the wisdom to be a wise steward of the gifts You have given to me. I pray that You will help me to see the needs of the world with Your eyes. I ask that You would guide me, Lord, into work that is meaningful, fulfilling and energizing–work that glorifies You as I meet the needs that You have called me to meet. As I explore ministries and their jobs, develop my resume, engage with recruiters/employers and interview, please give me the words I need. Help me to be articulate in describing my gifts, experiences, who I am, and what I can do to contribute to the mission of the organization. I know as Your word tells me “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Thank you for calling me for Your purposes. I relinquish my life and work to You knowing that I am your handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which You prepared in advance for me to do. Amen.