Careers

Wear a Cyber Tie

A virtual interview for a real-world job?

By Anne Kates Smith, Senior Associate Editor

From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, September 2007

There's nothing low-stress about a job interview. But first-time contacts are definitely less intimidating when you can meet a prospective employer in cyberspace, where his or her online persona, or avatar, interviews yours. That's happening now in the virtual reality known as Second Life. TMP Worldwide, an ad agency specializing in talent marketing, is hosting virtual job fairs there -- most recently in August -- for employers such as Verizon, Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard.

Visiting Second Life (www.secondlife.com) is free, but joining the party requires registration and a software download. Don't assume job seekers must be young and tech-savvy. Sodexho, a hospitality company, found applicants with five to 15 years' experience.

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