Your ultimate guide to careers fairs

Posted on by Careers Service

It’s here! The  Employer Showcase, our Autumn careers fair, takes place this week on Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 October, from 12:30 pm to 4 pm, at Bristol Beacon.

Whether you’ve just started university or you’re gearing up for graduation, the Employer Showcase will have something for you.

It’s worth taking advantage of these opportunities whilst they’re readily available to you, even if you have no idea what you’re planning on doing after your studies. Have a snoop and see what appeals to you. If you know exactly what you want to do: great! Come along and network with employers from a whole range of industries.

Here is your ultimate guide on how to make the most of our career fairs:

What do I do in advance?

Do your research! Log in to mycareer to find out who is attending the employer Showcase; who do you want to speak to? What are you hoping to gain from speaking to them? What can you find out about them before you go to make your conversations more valuable? Look at their websites and check out their social media accounts to see if it looks like somewhere you would like to work.

How do I act when I’m there?

Most importantly, enjoy it! Talk to as many employers as possible (even from sectors you’ve never even considered), find out what’s on offer, grab some freebies and maybe even get your LinkedIn headshot taken. Be confident and let your personality shine; companies are looking at your character, not just your academics and experience.

Your preparation will also come in handy when asking the right questions to ensure you get the most relevant information: the most valuable questions will build on existing knowledge. For example, if you’ve checked a company’s website for their application process, you can ask for more details or advice on how to complete this to the highest standard.  

Need a pep talk? Come and find us in the Careers Service zone at the Employer Showcase.

What about afterwards? 

Connect with organisations and their employees quickly after meeting them, whilst they still remember your face. Make sure you’re LinkedIn profile is up to date and sparkling before you go to the fair so that all you need to do is upload your new headshot and hit connect once you get home. Save yourself hours of nail-biting by getting a follow-up template email ready to send to anyone you networked with. 

Ultimately, our career fairs offer you fantastic opportunities, no matter what stage of career readiness you are at.

The Employer Showcase is taking place on Wednesday 19 and Thursday 20 October, from 12.30 pm to 4 pm at Bristol Beacon. Visit mycareer to book your place and get researching. Good luck and we’ll see you there! 

Blog written by Natalie Fittus, Employer Events Ambassador at the Careers Service and third-year English student.