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Career events & recruitment fairs
Not sure what you want to do when you graduate?
Career events and recruitment and job fairs provide a useful insight into the variety of career options that you could pursue and the employers that might employ you - don't just look at them as a good source of cheap pens and desk toys! It's hard to find one comprehensive source of every event going, so we've listed below those websites that also seem to publish a good selection of job fairs and events. Your uni careers service will also publish a list of those just coming to your uni so make sure that you register with them. Follow us on Twitter and look at the lists we suggest to get real-time updates on what's going on and join our Facebook Fan page.
- Make the most of your time: These events can be
huge and the popular stands get really busy so plan ahead. Register
first if you can and check out the stands and advice clinics that you
want to attend ahead of time.
- Dress and behave 'employably': Don't just turn up
in jeans and a scruffy T Shirt, treat it like you would an interview -
dress appropriately and act professionally. The talent scouts working on
the stands will remember you and they will send back notes to the HQ
recruiting teams about candidates that have impressed them. It's a
buyer's market - ask what they're looking for, sell yourself, don't expect to be sold to.
- Don't hog the freebies: Most stands will have free
giveaways on the stand but don't just take them and walk away. You're
here to get a job so talk to the scouts and find out what else they have
to offer you.
- Do your research: If there are companies exhibiting
that you are already interested in, use the chance to talk to them
about the questions you want answered that aren't on their websites.
Compare them with their main competitors - if you've been to one retailer or accounting firm's stand, go to their rivals as well. Maybe you're struggling with aspects of the application form or you want
to know more about the training and promotion prospects they offer. You
might come across some employers that you weren't aware of before -
take the time to find out more at the fair and look them up on the web
later.
- Network: The talent scouts will have business cards on them - ask for them. Find out if it would be OK to follow up by email with any questions you think of after the fair. Be polite and remember to say 'Nice to have met you at XXXX Fair' before you ask any questions so that they'll remember you.
Career event schedule
- Careerplayer.com event schedule - one of the best available. To view, click here.
-
Milkround.com - another very comprehensive calendar of events. To view, click here.
- Women in Technology - excellent listing of recruitment events with top employers for careers in technology. To view click here.
Download Emma B's Top 10 Tips for getting the most from grad fairs and our career tracking spreadsheet at the bottom of the page and add the ones you want to go to on your planner.
Follow us on Twitter @mycareersadvice, join our Facebook Fan Page and our LinkedIn Group, link to us - spread the word about mygraduatecareer.com!
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