Attending a career fair has been a ritual of graduating seniors for decades. It's a great way to meet many different employers in a single day.

Virtual career fair

More recently, though, some grads are making the rounds of employers from the comfort of their own home computer.

A growing number of companies specialize in putting on virtual career fairs that bring together students and hiring companies online instead of in an exhibition hall. Online trade-show firm ON24 reports companies participating in virtual trade shows include Dell, HP, Cisco, Lilly, Pfizer, Yahoo!, Pepsico, Xerox and many more top-drawer corporations.

Virtual career fairs are drawing crowds, particularly among the under-30 crowd -- new grads and youth who've grown up using the Internet and social media. Last year, ON24 released statistics that more than 3,100 people register for the average online career fair, with about 50 percent turning up at the virtual event.

ON24 reports a recent Society of Automotive Engineers International fair saw 2,000 mobility-industry job applicants register to attend. The fair even included online "mini-interviews." The organization plans another fair in the fall.

One reason the big companies like virtual fairs is the cost of renting a booth is more affordable. This means their cost-per-lead -- the job applicants they find through the fair -- is lower than it is for renting a real booth at an old-fashioned fair.

From a grad's point of view, the advantages are obvious. There aren't many 22-year-olds who long to put on a suit and tie, so along with saving drive time, virtual fairs allow them to meet and greet without dressing the part.

Virtual events obviously lack the face-to-face component of traditional fairs and the chance to make the more personal connection you can only get live. But they have much of the rest of a typical career fair's offerings -- noted speakers, virtual "booths" to visit, and training seminars.

Many industries seem to be taking to virtual career fairs -- a list of upcoming events facilitated by virtual platform provider INXPO shows companies in media, technology, travel, and manufacturing all participating in virtual career events.

Will you attend a virtual career fair this year, or a real-world one? Leave a comment and tell us your plan.

Second Life career fair photo: Flickr Creative Commons - HVX Silverstar