Graduate careers fair season is finally coming to a close which means that majority of us can stop flying around the country and stop living out of suitcases!
2016 saw the trend of employers being increasingly more strategic with the careers fairs they attended continue. Gone are the days where we need to attend 40 fairs in March! This was particularly relevant in Melbourne where the vast majority of universities chose not to host their own careers fairs this year, opting to funnel students into the Melbourne Big Meet at the Crown.
As a result, the Melbourne Big Meet saw a record turnout of students and from the feedback from employers who attended this was the most valuable Big Meet of the season.
Increase in international students
Maybe unsurprisingly, the general consensus at many of the careers fairs this year was that there is still an increasing amount of international students attending despite the knowledge that the domestic opportunities available to them are few. As always many of these students approached the GradConnection stand hoping that we could assist.
While we were able to provide advice to many, it was the students who attended the universities who have taken on our International Student Job Portal, GradConnection Campus, that we were able to provide real support to. We’re hoping that GradConnection Campus will be able to provide a real solution to the pressing issue of international student employability.
Our advice to employers
Finally, our advice to employers is to make sure that each careers fair that you attend is providing you with a strong return. Each careers fair is going to cost you in registration and logistics fees, time and all the additional assistance of past graduates and ambassadors.
Be strategic, select key university fairs and Big Meets to provide bang for your buck. But above all have fun, in the end this is a branding piece more than anything, students will judge an organisation on the representatives that are present!