And we’re not talking scream if you want to go faster! There are loads of graduate and other recruitment fairs in the UK where you can pack a lunch, scrub up nice and get yourself along and in the faces of all those companies you’ve always wanted to work for. You don’t necessarily have to be a graduate either. Mia Morris has been putting in a bit extra effort herself to bring you the low down on these corporate clusterings and she advises you to make the most of them. Take it away Mia! After completing 6th Form, Further Education College or University you may still be thinking about your future career. Perhaps you have started work and you want to get a better feel of what other employers in your field of interest are doing. If any of these apply to you, why not consider attending some of the range of Graduate Career fairs now being organized across the UK. For a definitive list log on to: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/ Careers_fairs/p!epkgf Graduate Fairs are also extremely useful even if you are in your first or second year of your course, as they give you that little edge as you negotiate further paths and opportunities at a later date. It also certainly widens your scope. Making the most of the visit Remember that attending a fair could give you good insight into how a particular industry operates. Advance research The minute you see a fair you are interested in, ring the advance booking line and ensure that you are booked into relevant seminars you are keen to attend. Always look at the Saturday Guardian’s Jobs and Money, where they have a particularly good series of articles each week in their pullout ‘Rise: next moves for graduate professionals’. If you are in London, always remember to pick up a copy of the Evening Standard Newspaper Supplement ‘Just the Job’. Most fairs also have very good and comprehensive online information for a bit of advanced research. For example if you know from your own normal job research that there are particular companies who do not advertise jobs regularly, but they are going to be at the fair, then possibly they use fairs as one of their main ways of recruiting. In cases like these, it is daft not to be there. Preparing for the day Remember some fairs offer assistance like online information about preparing your curriculum vitae. Bring lots of these with you on the day in a clear plastic sleeves. Ensure that you know precisely where you are going and aim to arrive after the doors open. You can sometimes take advantage of cheaper travel by public transport after 9.30am. On the day Make sure you have the floor plan in advance and ‘work the floor’ ensuring for example that you go the key companies that you wish to target first, while you are still fresh. • Give yourself enough time to go round and make a good impression, be polite and get your point across confidently. • Make sure that you stand out from the crowd (in a good way!) • Wear very comfortable and polished shoes. • Treat the whole day as if you are going to an interview. • Remember you never know who you might meet there or what it might lead to, remember, your future employer could be just a moment away. • If you are dressed far too casually you may well be overlooked. • Take a friend with you, go with your cousin or your neighbour, anyone who will support and encourage you on the day. •Take a good sturdy bag with you, for the Corporate literature and goodies, a nice lightweight shoulder bag would work as opposed to a supermarket plastic bag for instance! In other words, look the part! Ensure that you have enough money with you to have a coffee and a bite to eat. Or pack some very luxurious sandwiches and water, make sure that you have an early night before and that you have some Radox to soak those feet of yours after the long day as you will need it! After the Fair Very Important! The next morning or later on that week please go through all the info! Get a specific storage box for it all and file cards to write salient points next to business cards you have collected. If someone was particularly helpful drop them a line to say thanks, and to keep in contact… And get prepared for the next one! Carpe Diem Go Back