Category: Fairs

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Careers programmes Fairs Go Global Fair Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair Spring Careers Fair Spring Recruitment Fair WORK EXPERIENCE AND PLACEMENT FAIR

Expert guide to preparing for a Careers Fair – Emma Lennox, Careers Consultant

Staff helping student out at the fair
Emma Lennox

Careers Fairs offer the opportunity to connect in-person with employers offering work experience, placement and graduate opportunities.

Hear from Emma Lennox, Careers Consultant on how to properly prepare for Careers Fair

Preparing for the Careers Fair

“Preparation for career fair is key. You need to know the logistics; so what buildings are being used?, what employers are going to be there? and who are you going to target when you get there?  

If it’s online, make sure you have the technology started, make sure you know your device is going to work. You have everything connected and you’ve got your battery ready to go.

If there is a virtual or an online aspect to careers fair, you have an extra element of preparation. You might have to go onto the platform in advance and make your profile and make sure it sells you in the skill sets that you want employers to know about”.

Make sure you are prepared for the virtual elements of the Careers Fair

Speaking to Employers at the Careers Fair

“This is the time to go and actually speak to actual employers to find out things you can’t find from their website”

“Don’t ask them something you should already know, so it’s on their website or it’s in the fair information booklet. Make sure you’ve done your research.”

Here are possible questions to ask:

  • Asking about a particular job if some of the details a bit vague.  
  • You could ask about the recruitment process
  • Ask about specifics of the assessment centre
  • You can ask about what the day in the job would really look like
  • What are the main responsibilities
  • What is a new recruit going to be asked for

These are the things that really get the employer talking and show that you’ve done your research and you’re engaged and interested in this organisation.  

Employers here to answer your questions at the Careers Fairs
Employers here to answer your questions at the Careers Fairs

Top Tips

  • “Try not to go to the careers fair with a group of 10 of your best friends. You walk around in a huge group and the employer will just see a huge group. This is your time to stand out, to be an individual”.
  • “Don’t take lots of stuff with you through the careers for and make sure you keep your hands free because you need to take notes. Remember the positions; Remember the companies; and remember the jobs when you go back later and you’re working out how to keep this engagement going.
  • “Look at the job tasks; look at the values and the mission statement of the company because you might go in there and find a company you never considered before”.

After the Careers Fair

“Don’t forget to follow up after careers fair”.

“If the employer has a LinkedIn account, you can ask if you can follow them. Definitely follow the company, see what’s happening and keep up to date with things. If you were speaking to someone, you have a personal rapport with them and you think, “I would really like to discuss this role further”. You can send them a personal e-mail and thank them for their time.”

Keep an eye out for QUB Careers Fairs and other events here

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Fairs Graduate jobs Graduate recruitment Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair Spring Careers Fair Spring Recruitment Fair work experience WORK EXPERIENCE AND PLACEMENT FAIR

Where is the Spring Careers Fair?

STUDENT ARRIVING AT a Queens Fair in the Mandela Hall
Find your way around the three campus venues

Location one

Venue of spring career fair
Students can attend career fair in different venues

The Mandela Hall – you’ll find it right at the back of the ground floor of One Elmwood. Tip tip, there is a side entrance opposite the Parlour that brings you straight to the Hall.

Location two

The Whitla Hall. You’ll probably know this one as it’s where graduation takes place. If you don’t, just come out of the black and white hall and turn left.

Location three

South Dining Hall exterior

The South Dining Hall – just beside the Whitla Hall, you will find the South Dining Hall. It’s right opposite Lanyon South.

Don’t forget to register for the Fair at go.qub.ac.uk/springfair.

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Fairs Graduate recruitment Graduate success Spring Careers Fair Spring Recruitment Fair Virtual recruitment work experience

3 things to do before the Virtual Careers Fair

Queen's student on laptop on social staircase in One Elmwood
Student accessing the virtual careers fair on campus

STEP 1: REGISTER for the virtual fair in advance via MyFuture.

Registration will open for the online fair on 30 January.

Register for the fair:

https://qub-csm.symplicity.com/students/app/career-fairs/30dee50212c1a424efba348d6222340d/overview

STEP 2: EDIT your profile

You’ll see an option to edit your profile and upload a well-presented CV for sharing with all attending employers. To do this, simply click on “Edit” at Profile, then “Add New” and follow the instructions to upload/share CV.

STEP 3: VIEW the booths of attending employers in advance

Click on ‘Meet the Exhibitors. View information and star favourites to meet with on the day by clicking on the “favourites” star. This is just a personal reminder during the live event to keep track of who you want to talk to.

Some other points to note:

MyFuture is best accessed on the following browsers: Google Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox

Find out more about the Spring Careers Fair at go.qub.ac.uk/springfair.

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Careers programmes Fairs Global Opportunities Go Global Go Global Fair Go Global Week

29 Amazing Companies To Meet at the Go Global Fair 2020

Who’s ready to shake off 2020? You can start planning the 2021 you deserve at Go Global Week from 12-15 October. Culminating in the virtual Go Global Fair on 14 October, this is your chance to chat to organisations that can offer you an experience of a lifetime to study, work or volunteer abroad during your degree. Here is just a snapshot of some of the organisations you can meet.

American Summers

Summer camp jobs Stateside

British Council – Study USA 

Spend a full academic year at an American college or university studying business or business and STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology and Maths).

British Council – IAESTE

Are you a science, engineering, technology or applied arts student? From electronics in Japan to earthquake detection technology in Colombia, an IAESTE placement is a guaranteed way to boost your career. 

BUNAC

Life-changing global work and travel

Camp America

Offering cultural exchange USA summer jobs in America.

Campus France UK

By studying in France, you will discover a diverse country with a rich and multi-cultural history.

CRCC Asia

Internships Abroad in China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, India. 

Erasmus Programme – Study and Work 

Exciting opportunities for UK participants to study, work, volunteer, teach and train abroad in Europe.

EcoSwell

The aim of EcoSwell’s volunteer internship program is to drive the creation and implementation of our sustainability projects, whilst transforming our volunteer-interns into agents of change.

First Derivative

As recruiter Jordan Hendricks recently told us at an Employer Panel: “Our graduate recruits have gone to New York, London, Australia, Munich – you can go anywhere where we have clients. There is a big social aspect to it as well.”

Global Volunteering International (GVI)

Worldwide sustainable development programs.

Gotoco

Funded and free summer camps and TEFL in China.

Habitat for Humanity

Help families around the world build and improve places to call home.

Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET)

An official Japanese Government scheme aiming to improve foreign language teaching in schools and to promote international understanding.

Jameson International Graduate Programme

Kick-start your career in marketing on a global stage.

Opportunity China

A gateway to exciting and enriching teaching opportunities in China.

Meddeas

Teach English in Spain

Mountbatten Institute

Connecting top global businesses with the brightest young professionals.

Pagoda Projects

Internships in China, Vietnam and Mexico.

Politrip

Short-term volunteer placements on international political campaigns

Raleigh International

Work in remote, rural areas to improve access to safe water and sanitation.

Rian Immigrant Center 

Provides Irish students and graduates with the opportunity to gain professional skills and experience across the U.S.

The Student Language Bureau

Work placements abroad for UK modern language students.

University Exchange Programme to Australia and Canada

Spend a year or a semester studying in Canada or Australia.

USA Summer Camps

Your perfect summer job is waiting.

US-UK Fulbright Commission

Scholarships for postgraduate study in the US

University of Poitiers

Study in Poitiers, France

Work the World

Tailor-made electives and placements in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Washington Ireland Program

The Washington Ireland Program (WIP) inspires and develops promising leaders through a program of personal development, policy debate and community service.

Register for the Go Global Fair here:

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Actober Career planning CVs DegreePlus Events Fairs Global Opportunities Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair my future

Five Things to do now for your future career

Act now if you want to give yourself the best possible chance to propel your career forward. 

Here are five things you need to do now:

  1. Attend Gradfest2021

We are excited to host a six-week festival of live streamed events, interactive content and online resources. You will have the opportunity to connect with employers and to access support and advice as you graduate into an altered recruitment landscape. Whether you are in final year or not, you can enjoy employer insights, resilience coaching and alumni stories live to your Instagram feed. 

Discover more

2. Discover DegreePlus

DegreePlus is an employability award that allows you to gain recognition for extra-curricular activities you take part in outside your lectures. This could be leading clubs and societies, taking part in leadership programmes or volunteering in the community. You’ll get a certificate and will have something concrete to talk about in future interviews. 

Discover Degree Plus

3. Find opportunities around the world

Explore the wealth of global opportunities available to you during your time at Queen’s, including study, work and volunteer abroad programmes. Start planning your epic summer 2021 now!

Discover Global Opportunities

4. Find a job through MyFuture

MyFuture is an essential careers portal you’ll use throughout your time at Queen’s to search and find jobs. Whether you are looking for a part time job to fit around your studies or a graduate scheme or placement, you can filter by your degree and skills to find the right job for you.

Access MyFuture

5. Get your CV in order with Vmock

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIpFLt15-CQ&t=3s

With many graduate jobs and schemes opening this month, you’ll need to get your CV in order. Similarly, if you are looking to gain work experience or even get a part-time job during your time at Queen’s. VMock is a virtual CV checker that gives you feedback on your CV in seconds! If you need extra help getting your CV in order, book a consultation with one of our careers consultants.

Watch: How to use Vmock

Unsure where to start with career planning? Visit our website

Get in touch with us at careers@qub.ac.uk

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Asia Australia Canada Erasmus Europe Fairs Global Opportunities Go Global Study abroad Travel USA Work abroad

Five Amazing Places You Can Travel to From Queen’s

Go Global Week is almost upon us. To get you in the mood, we’ve rounded up five of the awe-inspiring places you can visit from Queen’s on a work or study abroad trip. Prepare to light up your ‘gram with #travel goals.

1.Canada 

You’ll need your camera at the ready in beautiful Canada

You can spend a semester or a year studying in Canada, just like Queen’s Land Use and Environmental Management student Stuart Best. 

“As a student in Canada, I did lots of interesting group projects, and there are so many good opportunities to network and develop, as well as making lots of Canadian friends!” 

Stuart with his Canadian friends on campus

Want more information on opportunities in Canada? 

2.USA

Start spreading the news…

Fancy sending a summer interning in New York? Project Children USA Internships are available in many fields ranging from law and politics, to medicine and engineering. Queen’s Law student Patrick Friel spent six weeks in the district office of Congressman Peter King. 

“Peter King made a huge contribution to the peace process in Northern Ireland and is still extremely interested in Irish affairs. My work mainly consisted of taking calls from constituents, helping them with the issues they were having with federal agencies and discussing any concerns that they had. I would like to thank Congressman King and everyone else in the office for making my internship incredibly enjoyable. I would also like to thank everyone from Project Children for giving me the opportunity to have an unforgettable summer!” 

Patrick with Congressman King

Want more information on opportunities in the USA? 

3.Asia

Want to explore Asia from Queen’s?

If you want to combine work experience with adventure then Generation UK China could be the programme for you. You can spend your summer interning in industry across China, like History student David Keenan who spent last summer in Shanghai. 

“For any student wanting to internationalise their career, and travel to an exotic country over the summer, I strongly urge you to consider the Generation UK – China Internship Programme!,” says David.

David exploring China

Want more information on opportunities in Asia? 

4. Europe

Spring time in Paris?

Erasmus Study & Work Programme has opportunities all over Europe. Law student Megan Edwards spent a semester studying at Pazmany Peter Catholic University (PPKE) in Budapest. “Studying in Budapest, Hungary as part of the Erasmus programme was the greatest experience of my life, she says.

Megan in Hungary

Want more information on opportunities in Europe? 

5. Australia

Fair dinkum

You can go as far afield as Australia from Queen’s and spend a year or a semester studying at the University of Newcastle in New South Wales. Check out their Instagram feed to see what your view of campus could look like!

Follow #YakMedia for a snapshot of campus life in New South Wales.

 If that has whetted your appetite for travel, don’t miss Go Global Week from 12-15 October. Register for the Go Global Fair here.

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Actober Careers programmes CVs elevator pitch Fairs Graduate recruitment Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair graduateland

Cheat Sheet: Stand Out at a Virtual Careers Fair

How to create an online profile that will stand out to employers at the Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair on 21 and 22 October

The Graduate Recruitment & Placement Fair on 21 and 22 October is the biggest Careers Fair at Queen’s. The fair will be a little different this year as we hosting it virtually on a digital platform called Graduateland. We like to think of this as Tinder, for jobs. Just like an online dating site, you can browse prospective employers to find your perfect match. You can even watch videos and live chat with recruiters. And, just like an online dating site, the more information you put on your online profile, the more you’ll stand out. 

WATCH: 

Completing your profile

The platform indicates how complete your profile is by giving you a colour coded percentage. Make sure your profile displays as green and as close to 100% complete as possible (you can opt to leave the age and gender fields blank, if you prefer). 

Your profile will show amber after you’ve registered -the goal is to get it to green.
Green profile = good to go

Get the basics right

This above video covers the basics of what you will be asked to fill in at registration: degree information, skills etc. The good news is, once you have done this for one event, you don’t need to do it again. So, for example, if you attend Go Global on 14 October, you will already have a Graduateland profile However, for the Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair there are a few trickier elements to fill in

Nailing the tricky questions

You can upload your CV, fill in your job history and details of any exchanges or work-related learning you have done. So far, so standard application. Where it gets tricky is an innocuous little box called:

‘Type in a captivating headline’ 

Don’t panic when you see this box.
Describe yourself in a headline. You:….

This is followed by a small box asking you to ‘Add a brief description of yourself that presents your career goals, skills and experience to potential employers.’ 

We know it can be hard to articulate everything that is fabulous about you in 200 words, so we curated the best tips from across the internet. If you still need help, you can contact our careers team for expert advice on careers@qub.ac.uk.

How to sell yourself in 25 words or less

HOW TO SELL YOURSELF IN ONE SENTENCE

How to pitch yourself to anyone

HOW TO SELL YOURSELF IN 30 SECONDS AND LEAVE PEOPLE WANTING MORE

Ready to start building your stand-out profile?
Log on to Graduateland here.

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Actober Career planning Events Fairs

Free Download: Your Career Plan for Autumn 2020/21 by Study Stage

Not sure where to start with career planning? Overwhelmed with options? We’ve streamlined your journey for you so you can easily see where you need to be and what you need to do to stand the best possible chance of propelling your career forward.

To help inform your career-planning journey, we’ve created a snapshot of the steps to success for every study stage. You can download the guide relevant to you to remind you of key events and milestone dates.

Steps to success for first yearsDownload
Steps to success for first year international studentsDownload
Steps to success for second yearsDownload
Steps to success for second years on sandwich coursesDownload
Steps to success for final yearsDownload

Our Careers website is a great place to start planning your career. Whether you have no plan, a vague plan or a firm career plan in mind, we’ll help you set and achieve short and long-term goals.

Don’t forget, the Careers service are here to support you, so if you have a question feel free to get in touch!

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Career planning Employers Fairs Graduate recruitment Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair Graduate success Networking student success

Asking these two questions at a careers fair helped me land the perfect graduate role

Ben Devlin

Maths graduate Ben Devlin explains how the Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair helped him realise the range of careers available to him.

Queen’s graduate Ben Devlin works as a Retirement Consultant at Willis Towers Watson in Dublin. He was taken on by the firm as a graduate actuarial consultant in late 2017. He may have made the transition from university to work look easy, but the reality was lots of applications, CV and cover letter submissions and interviews.

“I secured my graduate job after applying to many different actuarial roles,” says Ben.

Asking the right questions

Make the most of an employer chat by coming armed with questions

Ben was able to get a better understanding of the options open to him by asking the right questions at the Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair: What positions at your company would be a good option for someone with my degree? What is it like to work at your company?

“I was able to get an insight into the range of careers that are available to me as a graduate. I was able to talk to people who worked for these firms and get an insight of what it is like to work for these firms on a day to day basis,” he says.

Building up skills

Build up your skills during your time at university

Ben built up relevant work experience during his time at Queen’s. 

“I participated in the London Finance and Business tour where I was able to get an experience of what it is like to work in an environment such as London. This helped me understand the roles that existed in firms in the finance industry and understand the application process. This in turn helped me prepare better for interviews and to land a summer internship the following year.”

His advice to current students? “Make the most of the opportunities available at Queen’s. It is also important to get internship or graduate applications in as early as possible in order to become more familiar with the application process,” he says. 

Interested in what graduate recruiters have to offer? Register now for our Virtual Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair today.

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Alumni Career planning Employers Fairs Graduate recruitment Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair Job Hunting Networking

How the Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair changed my life

When Queen’s graduate Rachel Murphy (nee Hill) met her employer at a Queen’s Flagship Careers Fair, it took her career off in an exciting new direction.

Rachel at her graduation

Like many students, History graduate Rachel Murphy (nee Hill) chose her degree subject because of her passion for the subject, rather than because she has a particular career goal in mind. 

“In terms of my career, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, which made deciding on a subject to study at university quite tricky.  In the end, I decided to study History as it was a subject that I loved at school and the subject which I knew I would enjoy the most.  Enjoying my time at university was very important to me and this was my main motivation to study at Queen’s and to study History,” she says.

Exploring my options

While at Queen’s, Rachel was keen to explore career options and to build up valuable skills that would make her more employable after graduation. She gained work experience at PwC and built up her confidence by sitting on the Students’ Union Council.  

“This was great experience and built up my confidence for going forward into the working environment,” says Rachel.

She also booked a consultation with a Careers consultant at Queen’s Careers service to get CV and interview guidance. 

Rachel booked a Careers consultation to get advice on her next move after graduation

Finding an employer

Rachel then attended the Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair, where she came across the Enterprise stall. She found out about their Graduate Management Programme and applied. 

She started the September following her graduation, moved through the Management Programme and was promoted to Management Assistant seven months later.

“The job had various roles and responsibilities which keep me very occupied throughout the day,” she says. 

For more of an insight into the Graduate Management Programme at Enterprise, watch this video:

Career success

Four year on, Rachel is Projects Officer at the Young Farmers Clubs of Ulster, the largest rural youth organisation in Northern Ireland which aims to nurture and develop young people. She credits Queen’s Careers service for helping her develop the skills she needs to succeed and for giving her that crucial first employer introduction.

Rachel now works as a Project Officer for a youth organisation

If, like Rachel, you are unsure what you want to do after graduation, register today for our Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair. You can meet employers who are looking to recruit graduates just like you.

But don’t take out word for it – here is what Rachel had to say:

“My advice for current students is get involved with Queen’s and all it has to offer.  I would also advise to make use of the careers service as soon as possible and to really think about what their plans for after University,” she says.

Register for the Graduate Recruitment and Placement Fair now.