Careers Fairs
Careers fairs bring together different employers, training providers, colleges, and universities so you can talk to a host of people across a broad range of industries and roles. They provide you with a chance to learn about various organisations, the opportunities they have available and more. Often careers fairs will focus on a particular topic. This could be a specific sector, such as engineering or law, a certain route, such as university or the options after college, or even based on location, so either a region or for a city!
Different organisations set up stands for these events which often means lots of freebies (yay – who doesn’t love a good free pen or tote bag!). But here’s our top tip: though it might be tempting, don’t go taking as much as you can carry; talk to the people at the stand first. Not only will this make them more likely to give you some lovely free items, but you might also learn about an opportunity or career path you never originally thought of.
Employer Presentations
Employer presentations are often organised by an employer (duh!) to showcase the opportunities they offer and show off the people that have joined their company. These are normally held at an organisation’s office itself, in a university or college, or more recently due to ‘certain events’, online – at least you won’t have to worry about travelling there!
These presentations can grant an insight into the day-to-day life of an employee at the company. And even better yet, they give you a fantastic opportunity to be nosey and ask the people who were in your shoes only a mere few years ago how they chose the option that was best for them.
If you do attend an employer presentation, and then later go onto apply for one of their opportunities, be sure to mention this on your application. It’ll look great and show that you’ve taken the time to learn about that specific company – make them feel special!
Career Workshops
It’s uncommon that we always know precisely what we want to do in our future careers (it’s devastating when you realise you can’t actually be the mermaid you’ve always wanted to be). But organisations offer workshops to help you out with these important decisions. These workshops focus on specific topics that can help you uncover great opportunities and put your best self forward to employers.
That can range anywhere from CV writing to filling out great applications and even how to ace an interview. They are often held in schools, colleges, universities, online or even at an employer’s office. Specific workshops, such as those held by UCAS, may be on a broad range of prospects to spark your interest in fields you may not have originally considered. Guest speakers often appear at these events, and those hosting them will have years of experience – so take note and use this chance to play 20 questions and ask anything you might want to know! Well, not anything… You know what we mean!
Open Days
We all want to know what goes on behind closed doors, and an open day is your chance to find out. On an open day, an organisation will invite prospective applicants to visit and see what it’s like to actually work for them. You can get to the bottom of truly important questions such as: will I get my own office? How big are the departments? Is there free tea and coffee?
Colleges or universities also hold these to allow you to explore the campus and facilities, or even attend seminars and speak to the people there. Although these open days are normally in-person, since 2020, many organisations have begun holding virtual events – thanks COVID! But don’t worry, you’ll still be able to explore the campus and experience informative seminars, but just from the comfort of your bed and without having to travel, maybe there is a silver lining to be had after all.
There’s not much left to say on careers events other than to get yourself along to one (or preferably a few) to learn more about the opportunities you’re considering. Keep an eye out on our website to keep updated!