Preparing for Careers Fairs
Careers Fairs expose you to a variety of
employers offering graduate employment and development programs.
By attending, you will meet recent graduates, recruiters
and senior managers from a number of organisations and be able to ask pertinent,
probing questions that may help you decide whether or not to apply for
particular opportunities and to discover information that might enhance
your application(s).
Prepare
in advance and do your research! This will demonstrate your enthusiasm
for an opportunity and on the day you'll speak with experienced representatives
who can easily determine who has and has not prepared.
Some tips that might help you:
- Visit the links to participating organisations for key details about the disciplines they are targeting, who is eligible to apply, etc. and to gain insight into the organisation, its activities, news, initiatives, culture and the type of opportunities they might offer.
- Make a list of organisations that
you wish to visit at the Fair.
Note questions you might ask, aiming to expand on
information you already know or have read, and especially to cover
areas not addressed in published resources. Specific questions
that demonstrate your research and interest in an organisation will
come across well. Questions like "What do you do?", "What
disciplines are you seeking?" or "Do I have to be a Permanent
Resident to be eligible?" highlight a lack of research and
will generally not impress.
- Employers look for a range of attributes including but not
limited to 'motivation', 'enthusiasm' and 'ability
to perform under pressure'. They also look for candidates with well-developed
skills in areas like 'communication', 'problem-solving' and 'teamwork'.
Could you, in a brief discussion with an employer, describe examples
of activities, experiences and behaviours that show you have these
qualities to offer? (The Australian Department of Education, Science
and Training's Employability Skills for the Future report
defines the 'Employability Skills Framework' and can
be found on the DEST website.)
- Visit Career Gateway, where a number of participating organisations may advertise their graduate vacancies. To find these ads quickly,
simply login and click on 'Search Jobs'. In the "Find" box enter "Graduate Careers Fair" and click 'search'. Details, closing dates and how to apply will
be included in each advertisement and again, where possible, should
be used as
a springboard for discussion with employers at the Fairs before submitting
an application. (If you have not used Career Gateway before, you'll
need to register on your first visit.
- If you feel a little awkward about the idea of approaching employers directly, remember that the Careers Fairs are relatively informal in that employers are expecting to receive unsolicited approaches from large numbers of inquiring students. It is a good idea though to practise your introduction skills, or rehearse the questions you hope to ask. Students who appear confident, informed and who ask perceptive, relevant questions make the best impression.
- Although employers do not typically expect to receive resumes at
the Careers Fairs (and some prefer not to), it is essential that
you have a current, well formatted resume available, so that if you
are asked for a copy you can provide it. We can provide resume samples and
resources, and we offer a resume
feedback service to help you.
- Practise
your interview skills, learn about assessment centres, psychometric
testing and other commonly used graduate selection techniques. Preparing
in advance and practising in a supportive environment will boost
your self-confidence and help you perform well when it's time for
the real thing. We
provide interview
practice, job
seeker seminars, careers
consulting and more to
help you.
Enquiries:
Tel: +61 3 9905 4170
Email: info@careers.monash.edu.au
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