For students, career fairs are a casual, unintimidating way to meet with potential employers, which is why they're so popular. Universities have even seen an increase in student attendance in recent years, further proving that Student Career Development Events in the UK are an important way to explore career options.
Recently, the Institute of Student Employers (ISE) brought together employers, universities and suppliers to discuss the most effective events and how to deliver them well.
The continued draw of career events for students
Career fairs are designed to provide students with opportunities to build connections with employers, groups, and companies. There are no interviews, just a chance to browse through organisations at their leisure, find out more and ask those all-important questions.
Numbers have been rising each year, indicating that students are keen to discover and network from an early stage. In addition to standard fairs, Imperial College London, Stirling, Cardiff and others have created virtual sector-spotlight sessions, where students can engage with sector experts online from home. Such virtual activities have been successful in complementing traditional events, with positive student feedback on their widened access and flexibility.
Why Face-to-Face Matters
Students remain interested in face-to-face competition with Student Career Development Events in the UK and have a strong desire to be on campus. Meeting an employer in person, without the stress of travel or squeezing into evening hours, is an important benefit of being on campus.
In an attempt to be more creative, some smaller colleges have created employer-branded pop-up stands in high-traffic areas on campus. This strategy allows students to easily stop and engage when they are out and about during the day.
One logistical challenge is timing. Application deadlines continue to be pushed earlier in the year, and students feel the need to get on board immediately upon return to campus.
Careers Events ROI
Return on investment (ROI) from career fairs is a topic of ongoing discussion. A number of employers question the value and would prefer to invite students to their own offices, where the process is more focused and controllable. One key frustration for many organisations is their inability to track meaningful engagement metrics.
A university has focused on one of the most concerning points, which is that ROI should not be the sole point to consider when evaluating success. Career fairs are more than that – they are an opportunity to provide benefits from creating long-term relationships to increasing student-employer engagement.
TheGradStory was founded to help international students pursue their academic and career dreams with the confidence of knowing they have the appropriate support, resources and guidance throughout their journey.
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