Getting The Most Out of The Careers Fair December 2009 Getting The Most Out of The Careers Fair Presented by the Careers and Graduate Employment Unit Student

Getting The Most Out of The Careers Fair December 2009

Getting The Most Out of The Careers Fair

Presented by the Careers and Graduate Employment Unit

Student Services


Format

This workshop will introduce you to:

1. What the Careers Fair is

2. Purpose of the Careers Fair (students)

3. Purpose of the Careers Fair (employers)

4. Preparation (what to expect)

5. How to prepare

6. Sample questions to ask employers

7. At the Careers Fair

8. After the Careers Fair


1. What the Careers Fair is

• Provides great opportunities to find out about potential employers and employment opportunities within their organisations

• Provides a direct way for you to enquire about employer specific recruitment needs and processes

• Open to all students

• First year students may want to see what it is all about, penultimate year student may be investigating vacation work or wanting to practice networking skills while final year students may be looking for graduate opportunities


2. Purpose (students)

For students, the Careers Fair is an opportunity to…

• Create a good first impression and speak to potential employers

• Understand that the real world is not organised by degree or major

• Overview of employment opportunities

• Gain an awareness of the key employers within a particular industry

• Establish contacts for internships and/or work experience


3. Purpose (employers)

For employers, Careers Fair is an opportunity to:

• Identify potential employees

• Increase the company’s profile on campus

• Increase the number of applicants for recruitment


4. Preparation (what to expect)

• Crowded & noisy UQ Centre at times

• Lines

• ‘Peaks & troughs’ so have a game plan


5. How to Prepare

• Know what you want to get out of the fair

• Have a ‘game plan’

• Check the website to find a list of employers that may interest you http://www.uq.edu.au/careersfair/employer_search.html

• Update your resume in case an employer invites you to send it in

• Prepare questions to ask


5. How to Prepare cont

Identify and research prospective employers:

• Obtain the list of organisations attending the fair www.uq.edu.au/careersfair

• Identify the prospective employers that most interest you

• Learn key facts about each of them including:

- organisational structure and breadth

- key products/services

- organisational culture and values

- hiring practices



Have a clear career focus



Rehearse an Elevator Speech:

• You are only going to get a very limited amount of time to make an impression on each recruiter

• Much less so than in a traditional job interview

• The key for you is to develop and rehearse an elevator speech



Example Elevator Speech:

Hi, I’m Paul Smith a recent Business graduate here at UQ. I specialised in marketing and have complemented my studies with an internship at Channel 7 Television Studios in Brisbane last year, and I also have extensive work experience at Tourism Queensland, the Brisbane City Council and Deacons Lawyers. I really enjoyed working in these creative environments and found my strength to be in written communications such as media releases (which I have published samples of) and the strategic development of advertising campaigns. This is specifically why I am interested in your organisation. Can you please tell me more about your graduate recruitment program?


6. Sample Questions to Ask Employers

Link to PDF:


7. At the Careers Fair

• Obtain a map

• Take the initiative

• Ask your well thought-out questions

• Be considerate

• Ask for a business card


7. At the Careers Fair cont

Politeness goes a long way:

• During your meet and greet with the recruiters, always remember your manners; politeness goes a long way in building a lasting positive impression

• How does politeness manifest itself?


8. After the Careers Fair

• Follow up on leads suggested by the employer

• Send a ‘thank you’ email within 24 hours

• Highlight parts of the conversation that stood out


Time to Get Started

If you require further assistance with your Careers Fair preparation, log on to

www.careerhub.uq.edu.au and book yourself into one of our many workshops

Alternatively, you can find us below the Pizza Café, Building 21C – St Lucia

campus

Documents

Getting The Most Out of The Careers Fair December 2009 Getting The Most Out of The Careers Fair Presented by the Careers and Graduate Employment Unit Student