The upcoming Faculty of Engineering and Technology employer fair on Thursday, 10^th October 2019, is a key date for your diary and provides a great opportunity to meet employers offering work experience and graduate roles. Knowing what to expect and how to engage with employers on the day is important to help you make the most of the fair.

Who is going to be there?
Staff representing the companies at the fair are usually a mix of HR/recruitment staff, as well as senior engineers/surveyors/IT professionals. Many companies also bring current placement students and/or graduate trainees, so this gives you a great opportunity to ask about their experiences of the application process and their role. Employers are interested in your potential to do the job and therefore want to find out not only about your qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience, but also your motivation, enthusiasm and ability to fit into the team and wider organisation.

A full list of companies attending will be emailed to you before the fair.

How can I prepare effectively?
‘Winging it’ is unlikely to impress employers – investing a little time to research organisations in preparation for the fair will not only make you feel more confident on the day, but will also help to create a good first impression with prospective employers. Once you have found out which organisations will attend the fair, identify those that interest you in particular and spend some time looking at their websites and the vacancies they have on offer. It can also be useful to draw up a shortlist of employers you’d like to speak to on the day. Don’t just focus on the big names you have heard of, but give the ones you don’t recognise a chance as well, as they will have lots of interesting opportunities you might otherwise miss out on.

Prepare a short ‘pitch’ to introduce yourself to employers, e.g. I am a second-year/final-year Civil Engineering student interested in exploring possible placement/graduate opportunities with your company. What programmes do you offer that are relevant for my subject area?/I have read about your infrastructure placement scheme online – could you give me some further information about that?

Also prepare some questions to ask staff at the stand, for example about the application process: How do I apply? Do you look for anything in particular in the application/CV? (International students: Do you welcome applications from international students?). Employers usually speak to hundreds of students during an event, and we know from their feedback that often the most memorable students were those that asked interesting questions. These could include: What do you enjoy most about working for this organisation? What was the most interesting thing you have worked on? What skills are you using the most in your role? What developments in the organisation are you most excited about?

On a practical level, think about what you’re going to wear, and pick something that is both professional and comfortable. Give yourself enough time to speak to all the employers, so arrive early!

Should I take my CV?
Some employers will accept CVs on the day, as this helps them remember who they spoke to at the fair and they can quickly review potential candidates. Others may not accept CVs (in particular if they use online application forms), so don’t be disappointed if they say no. Taking a CV can help you look prepared and professional, but you may be in a better position to tailor your CV after the event based on the additional information you have found out about the organisation. Get your CV checked by a member of staff from the Careers Team in the Byrom Careers Zone (ground floor of the James Parsons Building) or during our CV clinic at the fair. We’d also recommend you upload your CV to our new CV 360 tool for instant feedback on how well your CV would do in the automated assessment many large companies now use at the online application stage. You can access CV 360 through our Careers Zone 24/7 platform > Tools > CV 360.

At the fair
First impressions count, so when you approach the stand, be confident and enthusiastic. Don’t just grab any freebies or brochures and run, but introduce yourself and network with the staff by asking relevant questions (see above). Make a note of the name and job title of the people you speak to at each stand, or ask if they have a business card. It’s great to be able to refer by name to any members of staff you have spoken to at the event in your application. Also write down any application tips and other useful information the staff give you before moving on to the next stand – you’ll speak to so many people that you won’t be able to remember it all afterwards, or you may get mixed up over who told you what.

After the fair
Read through your notes and brochures and create a shortlist of companies you would like to apply for. Check application timelines for closing dates to help you prioritise your applications appropriately, and start researching how to prepare effectively for online tests, interviews and assessment centres.

Further help and resources

• You can download helpful guides on writing CVs and applications, and preparing for online tests, interviews and assessment centres from the Careers Team website
• Our Careers Zone 24/7 platform includes lots of useful career tools and employer advice.

Happy networking!