If you’re nearing the end of your university career, or just want to know a bit more about what sort of jobs or internships are available for a bit further down the line or even the summer, a careers fair might be a good event to consider attending. Many universities host their own careers fair at least once a year – it will likely be well promoted but you can always ask at student services or your careers advice centre to get some more information and find out how to sign up. This is a great opportunity for you because the company representatives will be there to talk about jobs that are available for graduates. So how can you prepare for the next careers fair?
There will probably be too many companies for you to talk to everyone, and doing so will probably put you into information overload anyway. This is why it’s important to do a bit of research before the fair. Check out which companies have registered to attend, think about who you’d be interested in working for and focus on talking to representatives from those companies. It’s a great idea to check out their company profiles online so you can demonstrate that you’ve taken the time to think about why you’re interested in working for them.
Dress appropriately. Although this isn’t a job interview, you are trying to make a good impression on potential employers, and you want them to see that you’re taking this opportunity seriously. So put on whatever you’ve got that puts across a professional image.
Take a few copies of your CV. You’ll be there to find out about potential job opportunities which you’ll then have to apply for online, so you may not need this. But it’s not a bad idea to have this on hand to pass as some companies will be accepting these on the day, and you might want to make sure that a particular representative remembers you.
Show interest in the companies that are at the careers fair. You can do this by asking questions about the company’s operations, day-to-day duties involved with the job you’re going to apply for or what other departments you’d be working with. But don’t ask questions about how much you’d be paid, how much holiday time you get or what job perks exist. They’ll want to know that you’re interested in the company rather than your pay check.
Even if you’re a bit unsure about what you want to do after university or if you’ve got a while to go, the careers fair is a great way to find out about different job prospects. So sign up, dress up and head over to the next careers fair at your university.