Careers blog written by Irena Zientek, Information Resources Manager, Careers

This week sees two careers fairs on campus, with another to follow next week – great opportunities to meet graduate employers in a (fairly) informal environment.

Students can be lured into the fair and to individual employer stands by the tempting freebies on offer (notebooks, memory sticks, stress balls – you name it and it will have made an appearance at a careers fair).

However, the real draw is the prospect of meeting over 130 exhibiting organisations over the three fairs. Where else would you get the chance to meet and talk with recruiters and find out more about them than their websites can tell you?

Like anything, to get the most out of visiting the fairs, you need to prepare. Here are some tips to help.

• Visit the fair web pages and check out which employers will be present (see the links listed below)
• Click on the company links and do some preliminary research about them. Find out the basics, so you avoid asking questions about the obvious (eg “What does your company do?”)
• Don’t just take the freebies – concentrate on asking the employer representatives some questions
• Show you’re interested and enthusiastic
• After you’ve spoken to an employer, make key notes from your conversation. Did they tell you something that you could use in a future application or at interview?
• It’s not every day you get chance to speak face-to-face with a potential employer – use the time wisely.

There’s more advice about preparing in our information sheet, Making the most of careers and recruitment fairs.

So, come along and meet the employers – your future job might be right there!

All the fairs are recruiting to graduate jobs and/or internship opportunities:

• Weds 14 October – Technology
• Thurs 15 October – Graduate recruitment & internships
• Weds 21 October – Law.