How to make the most out of the Career Fairs 2024

Wednesday, 9th Oct

With a number of employers all under one roof, career fairs provide a great opportunity for you to research your options and network with recruiters. Find out how to make the most of Career Fairs 2024 event.

It can be daunting approaching an employer and not knowing how to start a conversation. We recommend having some set questions to use.
  • What Roles are you recruiting for?
  • What positions in the company would suit someone with my degree?
  • What transferable skills do you look for?
  • What are the company’s key values?
  • What opportunities are there for future progression?
  • What does the recruitment process look like and where do most applicants struggle?
  • If you were a student now, what would you do to make yourself more employable?
  • What attracted you to work for this company?
  • How many graduates do you recruit each year?
  • How long do graduates tend to stay in the company?
  • What would stand out to you on a CV or application form?

  • Read the company information available on this app
  • Shortlist the ones you would like to prioritize speaking to and make those your target on the day
  • Check out their websites and what they've been up to recently
  • Look up their key values to see if they match with yours – most companies have their values or core pillars on their websites.
  • Understand that it’s not just about industries. Most companies need employees in various roles so explore companies outside your degree background. Even tech companies need marketing, HR, finance etc.

Use our Match tool in this guide to find your perfect company matches. The feature asks 4 questions to locate the companies that suits your interests. Hence, start by clicking the Matches icon on the floating bar!

GET SUPPORT FROM YOUR INTERNAL SURREY TEAMS

Members of your Surrey University careers, placement and employer engagement teams will be at the fair ready to answer any of your questions and give you the confidence to go and speak to the employers. They will have a stand at the entrance so you can speak to them before meeting the employers.

Your Friendly Careers Consultant Team

Surrey's friendly Careers Consultants are here to support you with your career plans, whether you have a clear idea about the future or are feeling unsure. We can help you to explore career ideas, come up with a job seeking strategy, prepare for applications and interviews, and more! You can book one-to-one Careers Appointments with our team via Surrey Pathfinder and access our careers information resources here. We will also be on hand at the Fair to answer any questions you might have about engaging with employers.

Your Placements Team

Taking part in a placement year can give you a competitive edge and advantage when applying for graduate roles. 95% of those who did placements are in graduate-level employment. This is 14% higher than students who didn't go on placement. Your placement team works with hundreds of companies offering Surrey Students placement roles, most of which are paid. You will gain precious work experience and skills that are highly sought by employers. Placements are advertised on Surrey Pathfinder and further information about doing a placement year can be found HERE.

Your Employer Engagement Team

We are the ones that organised this careers fair. We are here to connect you with a wide range of employers to explore what your future could look like. Last year, we hosted exclusive Surrey events with 200 companies who all wanted to meet our Surrey Uni students. The sessions are designed by employers to give you a glimpse into various industries and roles, so you can see what your future could look like after Surrey. Each week during term time, we offer three employer-led skill sessions—on Mondays and Tuesdays from 6-7pm and Thursday afternoons—featuring top UK employers like IBM, KPMG, McLaren, and Unilever. These sessions provide valuable insights on CV writing, application processes, interview techniques, and psychometric tests. By attending, you'll not only gain essential skills but also expand your professional network by connecting with recruiters on LinkedIn. Check out the events page on Surrey Pathfinder, register for as many events as you can, and start shaping your future.

  • Once you have a list of names of people you have spoken to, make sure you follow up with them on LinkedIn so they remember you and you have a future contact
  • Don’t be shy – other students will be doing this
  • If you get an email address make sure you email them within 3 days of the fair to say thank you for speaking to you.
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