Like! So where do you start searching for that dream job? There are plenty of places you should be looking. Over the next one week, we’ll be talking about Fairs, Classifieds, Online Search, Career Cells, Graduate Training Programmes, and Direct Applications
In today’s post, I’ll discuss Recruitment Fairs and Exhibitions.
Right,
What is a recruitment/job/career fair?
In the UK, these refer to an organised event where employers and students meet and interact with each other in an informal setting. Employers put up stalls and students go around the fair stopping at stalls that interest them, talking to prospective employers, and very often picking up leaflets and brochures.
Why should you attend a job fair?
- A recruitment fair is an opportunity to meet employers in your field of interest.
- It is also an opportunity for you to ’sell yourself’ to a prospective employer, so that when you make a formal application, you are remembered.
- Many employers also accept CVs at the fair. But you must remember that formal offers of employment are never really made at a fair. So don’t attend expecting to come back with a job!
- Apart from making contacts, the fair is also an oportunity to ask a prospective employer any questions you may have about the company or the industry or if you’ve already identified a particular role in the company that interests you, then about that role.
- A job fair is also a good opportunity to learn to talk about your interests and your skills and develop the confidence to handle interviews. It’s ok to make a mistake here and learn from it; the same mistake at a formal interview could cost you dearly!
So, what do you ask at a job fair?
- You could ask about opportunities at the organisation
- You could ask if your profile could fit in and how
- If yes, then you could enquire what your potential role could be
- If you’ve done your research on the company, then you may have a question regarding what you’ve read
- If you’ve identified a role that interests you, you could ask specific questions about that
- But you must remember that a lot of students could be asking these questions, so you could try something different, so as to engage the person at the stall:
- Ask about the department you’re interested in – its size, about the people working in it, about the work culture- try and create a picture for yourself about the place
- Understand what it is like to work in the organisation. You could be friendly, and ask the person at the fair what they do for the organisation and what they like about it etc- try and figure out for yourself whether this is the kind of place you’d fit into
- In short, try and find out whatever you can about the organisation that its website wouldn’t tell you, but only a person working there would! But do so without sounding like you’re prying. Be curious, not nosey!
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Posted on January 27th 2010
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santosh
