Employers Presentations and Fairs for Graduates

Following the time-honoured principle that you should 'try before you buy', recruitment fairs and employer presentations give graduates a great chance to look before they leap into employment with a company. This works both ways though, and employers will also be evaluating you and assessing whether you would fit into their company.

Employer Presentations

Employer presentations give you the chance to find out what the culture of individual firms are like. They are also a great opportunity to talk to young graduates who were probably struggling to make the same job choices as you just 12 months before. By the end of the presentation you should know whether or not you want to work for the firm and will have collected enough information to sound convincing and committed enough to make it through the first interview.

What to Expect

What you can expect depends very much on the employer; how they run the event will tell you as much about the firm as anything else they say or do. The traditional format is a presentation which aims to give an insight into the particular organisation and their graduate scheme. This will usually by followed by a question and answer session. Other employers will try to get you more involved, perhaps via a short business case study. Whatever the format, the aim is to show you what the firm is like and convince you to apply to them.

This may be followed by an informal gathering, usually over food and drink. Previous student feedback suggests this is the most helpful and informative part of the event. This is your chance to chat informally with new graduate recruits and more senior staff. Here you can ask direct questions and really challenge the firm to prove they are as good as they say they are, and you can get the answers you need to help you decide whether you even want to apply to them.

Recruitment Fairs

Although you might be only one of thousands of graduates that recruiters see during a fair, you can use that time to make an initial contact with an employer and ask pertinent questions about what it's like to work for the company. Many companies will send representatives from their HR departments to the fair looking for new talent.

Unlike presentations, fairs give you a chance to speak to many employers under the one roof, which makes them useful if you haven't decided on one company. Provided you have prepared properly, fairs can provide a great chance to network with the very people who will be sat on an interview panel a little further along the application process.

Making the Right Impression is Essential…Here’s How to Do It

Do your Research

Read company websites and brochures and avoid asking obvious questions such as 'what does your company do?'. Preparing questions in advance shows the employer that you have done your homework.

Network

You're at the event to meet the important people and make the right impression. Find out who the key recruiters are and introduce yourself, being a little bit pushy now can open doors further along the recruitment process.

Act Smart, Dress Smart

Treat fairs and presentations as if they were actual interviews, present a professional appearance and go as smart as possible. Likewise, taking advantage of the free sandwiches or stuffing freebies in your pockets shows a distinct lack of interest.

Apply Early

If you're interested in the company, get started on the application as soon as possible. Many firms will have closing dates before Christmas so the sooner you apply the better your chance of getting the job you want, where you want it.