Online Meet and Greet 2021

We’ve made the tough call to move our in-person Meet & Greet events online. Here’s a bit more background about our decision, and some key tips for everyone getting ready to Meet & Greet remotely in two weeks’ time.

Although there's a (remote and getting remoter) chance that Wellington might return to Level 1 by the 9th of September, we think it's highly unlikely. Auckland on the 7th is just not going to happen. Keeping everyone safe is our utmost priority right now - as such we will only be able to proceed with Create Camp and other student events at Alert Level 1 (click here to learn more about SoT operations under Alert Levels 2, 3, and 4). We hope that making this call now will give students, employers, and our team enough time to pave the way for a smooth & exciting Online Meet and Greet.

We do not take this decision lightly, so even if we have a rapid slide back down Alert Levels in the next two weeks, our events that were planned for Auckland and Wellington on the 7th and 9th of September will still be held online.

Our online event backup plan is ready to go. We learned from 2020 and are ready with our very own event platform. We have been testing the event platform since the beginning of the year through our online career clinics, where we host hundreds of students and industry volunteers from all over Aotearoa. It is not going to have bells and whistles, but it WILL connect students to employers to have 1:1 video chats about summer internships. And that’s the goal of Meet & Greet, after all :-)

We know this is new territory for most - so we’ve compiled a few key tips for both employers and candidates below. Some are general tips for acing Meet & Greet, but we also have some tailored advice for the online adjustment in 2021!

General Tips

Limit distractions, if you can

It always helps to have a quiet space to focus - but we also know your bubble might be a busy place. More than anything, know it’s okay if you haven’t found the most ‘professional’ space or background - there’s a lot of acceptance for WFH (working from home) setups. Especially during lockdown! The person on the other side of your screen will be doing their best, too.

Try to secure a good internet connection

There’s nothing worse than a screen freeze in the middle of a good yarn. If you are worried about your internet stability, try to position yourself next to your home router.

Don’t forget water!

We swear it helps - having a big bottle of water within reach will help you stay refreshed. Even though we are online, these events involve a lot of talking!

Pre-prepare

We will email all registered attendees with tips and instructions for getting set up before the event. Have a read so you can know what to expect - and how to ace it.

What you’ll need

For technical setup, you’ll need a computer with a webcam and microphone so you can join video chats. And a reliable internet connection. A tablet is ok, but a phone is difficult to manage. We’ll be in touch with registered attendees before the event with more detail.

Tips for employers

Be ready to talk about your organisation, and your role(s)!
Prepare your top three questions
You’ll likely have only 3-5 minutes per candidate, so it’s best to have a plan for what you want to ask.
Be ready to record your impressions. This way, you’ll know who you want to follow up with. The setup details we send will give you options.
Have a positive opening statement. Opening with something like "we're super excited that you're interested in our internship" helps candidates feel at ease as the conversation begins.
Keep a timer next to you
Don't be afraid to say you have loved chatting but you now need to talk to the next person

Tips for candidates

Figure out who you want to talk to before the event (you get to choose which queues you join!)
Research roles and organisations, and be ready to make a great first impression
Prepare a couple of questions, to show you’re genuinely interested in the opportunity
Be ready to record your impressions, so you know which role(s) you’re most excited about
Have a positive opening statement/introduction. Practice it!
Don’t be offended if it’s a short chat, we’re suggesting 3-5 minutes per conversation so that everyone gets a chance to make connections.

Online Meet & Greet 2021