Small interactive ‘Career Chats’ or a virtual tour of the company 

Virtual encounters are ideal for companies and schools that are not in easy travelling distance of each other. They are also ideal for companies looking to expand their geographical reach or simply to engage with a larger number of students, as much larger numbers can be hosted online. These encounters can be easily replicated once delivered. Offering a virtual encounter can expand the wealth of experiences for students, and they are often appealing to teachers who can face challenges when arranging trips out of school.  

Quick Stats – Virtual Encounter
Time commitment
~1 hour
Age group
Any year group
Volunteers needed
1+ (more for panels)
Complexity
Lower — great reach
Timetable – Virtual Encounter
Example timetables
Example A
Career Chat
Students attend an online talk with a staff volunteer about their career, followed by a Q&A.
2:00 pm
Welcome and introduction
Introduce the session, the volunteer and an overview of what students will hear about.
2:15 pm
Career talk
Volunteer staff member talks about their career path, current role, skills, and experiences.
2:45 pm
Q&A
Volunteer takes questions from students — encourage students to prepare questions in advance.
3:00 pm
Finish
Wrap up and signpost next steps or further opportunities.
💡 Delivery tips
1
Arranging the session during school hours allows teachers to gather students more easily.
2
Share a brief bio of the volunteer with the school in advance so students can prepare questions.
3
Timings can be extended to include talks from multiple staff members representing different roles.
4
Check IT compatibility with the school in advance — some schools have strict controls that can block certain platforms.
5
Do a test run before the live session to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Arrival
Core activity
Q&A
Finish
Example B
Virtual Tour of the Company
Students follow an online tour of your company with a tour guide highlighting interesting features and facilitating brief interactions with staff.
1:45 pm
Welcome and introduction
Introduce the session and give students a broad overview of the company before the tour begins.
2:00 pm
Virtual tour
A volunteer tour guide leads students through an online tour of the workplace, pausing to chat with staff in different departments along the way.
2:45 pm
Q&A
Tour guide takes questions from students about what they've seen and heard during the tour.
3:00 pm
Debrief and finish
Wrap up, share any follow-up resources and signpost further opportunities.
💡 Delivery tips
1
Plan the tour route in advance — including which features to highlight and which staff to pause and chat with.
2
You could provide a quiz for students to complete as they follow the tour to keep them engaged throughout.
3
Invite additional staff to join the Q&A slot to offer a wider range of perspectives.
4
Check IT compatibility with the school before the session — do a test run to avoid technical issues on the day.
5
Share staff bios with the school in advance so students can prepare tailored questions.
Arrival
Core activity
Q&A
Finish
 

Conditions for Success

  • Ensure that your IT system and that of the school are compatible (i.e. schools have vigorous safety controls which can block some programmes.) 

  • Conduct a test run of the talk or tour and review with colleagues 

  • Provide the schools with a brief bio of the speaker/s in advance to aid student preparation 

  • Ensure the content is age appropriate - seek tips from the school 

“This is such an easy way for us to engage with students and introduce them to our jobs/workplace.”
“As we are pushed for time and resources this is an ideal engagement activity. It also allows us to showcase many more workplaces than would be possible by in-person visits”
“We really like being able to hear about lots of different careers and companies, not just those in our local area.”
 

Maximising impact

Additional components you could include 

  • Panel discussion - include multiple members of staff, representing a variety of roles and departments, to join online and talk about their careers/take questions 

  • Workplace simulation activity – such as a challenge task or research task that students could complete in their classroom and then feedback to staff volunteers online 

  • A workplace visit – invite particularly engaged students to see the ‘real thing’ and get a more in-depth experience 

 

Priming and debriefing support 

  • Establish with the school exactly which age group/level of interest to allow for tailoring of event 

  • Share staff bios/CVs ahead of the event and ask teachers to encourage students to research the company and prepare questions for staff in advance 

  • Provide schools/colleges with information about opportunities at your organisation/in your sector which they can use in follow-up careers conversations with students 

 

Learning Outcomes – Virtual Encounter
Introduce and Inspire

Firms are able to offer a wide range of speakers allowing students to understand the different types of workplaces — offices, factories and more.

Investigate and Explore

Introduce a quiz element to the virtual tour to encourage engagement and active learning throughout.

Apply and Demonstrate

Students can compare their experiences of different workplaces and how that impacts their career decision making.