New Virtual Interview Room at UCT Careers Service
New virtual interview room at UCT Careers Service
Story: Natalie Kammies
Image: Germaine Grammer
More and more international and local recruiters are looking to connect with – and provide job opportunities – to UCT students and graduates. With everything going digital and online these days, it has never been more important to have access to technology when job searching.
This week UCT Careers Service launched its new virtual interview room at its offices on Upper Campus, in partnership with technology company Cisco. The aim is to help UCT students connect with employers in a virtual space. This is a pilot project for Cisco as it is the first time that it has partnered with any careers service in the world to provide this service.
‘Even though campus is Wi-fi enabled, no room exists to book a space for a virtual job interview. This room stemmed from the need of students who wanted a virtual room, and employers who used Webex software for conferencing,’ says graduate recruitment co-ordinator, Hisham Hoosain, who helped set up the virtual interview room.
Careers Service Director, David Casey, saw an opportunity and approached Cisco, who owns the Webex video-conferencing software. The company then agreed to partner with the UCT Careers Service by sponsoring the license.
Luan McArthur-Grill, University Recruiting Manager for the Middle East, Africa and Turkey at Cisco, said: ‘Cisco, being a graduate employer themselves, definitely see the value in universities providing infrastructure and tools to make it easier to reach their students, and have recently made a few hires for their global graduate programmes from UCT.
‘In addition to the talent connection value, incorporating technology such as Webex also sends a clear message to this generation that the institution seeks to be cutting edge.’
The room is available to all registered UCT students, who are encouraged come to the UCT Careers Service office on Upper Campus to enquire about bookings. Students are also encouraged to use the job-search resources online to help prepare for the interview. Experienced careers advisors are also available for a consultation, which students can book via the online portal, MyCareer.
The room is fully equipped with the necessary equipment, including a sound-proof door, which ensures minimal disturbance and allows students to conduct their interviews with employers in a space that is conducive.
‘Being an innovative student-facing service is embedded in our Careers Service vision. This is an exciting initiative to roll out to students,’ said Hoosain.