U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the largest uniformed law enforcement agency in the country, has launched a "Virtual Job Fair" to fill 2,200 mission support and operational support positions ranging from entry-level to mid-career jobs located throughout the U.S. 

Looking at the job fair portion of the CBP website, the only virtual part about this "virtual fair" is that it's virtually nonexistent.  The site simply hosts a bunch of job postings and a few details about the major recruiting categories.   Had CBP put in a little more effort into planning and innovation, they could have done something cost-effective, interesting, and far-reaching. 

For example, they could have set up an interactive web page where interested candidates could ask questions and receive answers in real time from CBP recruiters and professionals.   They could have created a series of video presentations that documented some of the excitement of CBP employment.  The videos could then be cross-posted on YouTube to gain a wider audience and for future use in generating interest in the agency.  Or, they could have promoted on online competition for ideas on how to improve CBP operations.  Winners would receive a cash prize and be moved to the top of the candidate short lists for employment. 

While we applaud the effort to "reduce the cost and distance hurdles for qualified applicants to start the process toward a career with CBP," the effort fell way short of meeting CBP’s assistant commissioner for human resources management Robert Hosenfeld's goals of "looking for everyday heroes in unconventional ways."  Posting a bunch of a jobs on a government website and slapping a label of "virtual job fair" does not equate to innovation. 

With that said, we'll try to help out CBP by reiterating their hiring needs.  Within the agency, demand for employment is greatest within the following five categories:

1. Mission Support Assistant (142 Vacancies)
2. Automotive Mechanic (138 Vacancies)
3. Information Technology Specialist (Vacancies 137)
4. Sector Enforcement Specialist (136 Vacancies)
5. Mission Support Specialist (130 Vacancies)