Careers Fairs connect jobseekers with industry leading employers and provide real opportunities to find new employment for so many people. Unfortunately, many college students miss out on the opportunities available at career fairs by not attending. They often think that such fairs are solely for people already out there on the job market and looking for jobs and think it is not appropriate for them during their studies. Wrong. Careers fairs are amazing opportunities for students to attend as they are much more than simple recruitment exercises and will provide students with insight, opportunity and inspiration. So if you are a student and you hear about a careers fair, get on it and get ahead of the game – it might just be life-changing! Below, we take a look at 6 reasons why all students should be attending Careers Fairs.
Why All Students Should be Attending Careers Fairs
Network
A careers fair is the perfect way to meet leading employers in your area of study and gives you the opportunity to connect with local and international organisations. Where else would you get to meet so many employers under one roof? The fact that you can spend time with a number of top companies and business people is a massive reason why you should be attending careers fairs. It’s an open invitation to get a foot in the door!
The Real World
Careers fairs offer students a great opportunity to see and interact with real and successful companies operating within their chosen field of study in the real world. This means that you will get the chance to see how your studies can be applied to the real world.
Be Professional
Attending a careers fair and interacting with companies and potential future employees is a great opportunity for many students to take their first steps into a professional environment. Successful navigating a careers fair and presenting yourself to potential employers is a great way to hone certain skills. At a careers fair you are entering into the real world outside of the protected academic walls and you need to measure up to that so it’s a great chance for you to present your professional side and get a chance to talk the talk and walk the walk in a professional manner.
Options
A careers fair is a great way of seeing all the options that are out there in your chosen field of study and could be the best way to discover avenues of potential areas you’d like to work in that you might never have considered or been exposed to in college. It’s also a great chance to find out about future employment options – do they take on interns, do they fit your employment goals, is there something you should be studying that would impress them at a later time when you are job-hunting, etc.
Improve
Careers fairs are not just a collection of employers and employees. Most fairs provide a platform for great speakers who will be there to help you become a better professional. Whether it be Professional Career Coaches offering one-on-one CV, job seeking and career advice or industry speakers that have been there and done it and want to pass on what they have learned to others, you need to be there to take advantage and learn and improve from the best.
Be Inspired
Careers fairs are also a hotbed of inspiration. You will often find a great range of speakers and talks and panels which focus on important and topical issues. Whether it be the laying out the latest trends or tackling the hottest takes, careers fairs will have it covered. Careers Fairs will bring together a diverse range of industry experts that’ll inspire you with their experience, knowledge, understanding and insights into your chosen field of study. Why would you not want to hear from the best?