During my first week at Durham, I discovered the career fairs that would be happening throughout my time here as a student. I felt both excited and nervous, knowing it would give me the chance to speak with industry professionals, including representatives from some of my dream firms.
My first fair
This excitement was quickly overpowered by nervousness as I decided to book a slot for my first fair. I was worried I didn’t yet have all the knowledge I needed to make the most out of this event, however now having attended, I’ve realised that the whole point of attending the event is to fill the gaps in your knowledge and while having some sense of clarity on your professional goals might enhance your experience, it is quite alright to walk in there with a slight sense of confusion.
I’d say the event might even be the perfect starting point for your research about your professional goals. As in my personal experience, the representatives at these events are welcoming and helpful and answer your questions in-depth. At my first event, I remember making it a goal to stop by and speak with as many people as I could, one outcome of that was coming across the opportunity to work with The Durham Student!
Think of questions ahead
If you’re unsure about exactly what you’d like to talk about then my number one tip is to write down what you do and do not know about that specific industry or job role that you’re interested in. This way, you can frame questions around topics you aren’t the most well-informed on; this might also help you feel confident about all the things you do know about.
In addition to job roles and industry-specific questions, you can also ask about the person’s own experience through recruitment and their current work-life. These sorts of questions are quite insightful as they help provide greater clarity about what your own experience might look like and answers to these questions can be quite motivating as you progress in your own journey.
Talk to people
Finally, the advice I’d give to both myself and to you is to avoid overthinking your interactions and simply enjoy the experience of meeting all the different people at the fair. At the very least, you would have learnt something new either about the recruitment process or the industry you wish to work in.
Discover more
Take a look at our Careers, Employability and Enterprise webpages
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