Five reasons to go to a Careers Fair

With National Careers Week (6th-11th March) just around the corner, the country has gone careers fair crazy – seven are taking place in the South East area alone over the next month!

From Oxford Jobs Fair to our very own Bucks Skills Show, the shires have a lot to offer a young person searching for their dream role. Not convinced? Allow us to change your mind…

1. The main purpose of a careers fair is to help you answer the question, ‘What do I want to do when I leave school?’. As such, these events showcase a wide range of industries – many you’ve probably never even heard of before! – and offer opportunities to try your hand at tasks certain roles demand, like digging holes, preparing food or performing surgery (on a dummy, of course).

2. Hundreds of businesses that are actively looking for future talent gather at careers fairs to promote their placements – if you make a good impression, they might even offer you an interview. These encounters also allow you to get comfortable around potential employers, which will make the hiring process seem a little less daunting.

3. As well as showcasing businesses, some careers fairs provide chances to hear from industry influencers (we’ve got someone from Sky Sports, Google and the Peaky Blinders videography team talking at Bucks Skills Show). It’s much easier to picture a career path when you’ve met someone who’s already been down it, after all.

4. Careers fairs aren’t just for young people seeking inspiration. If you already know what career you want, exhibiting ‘next steps organisations’, such as universities, colleges and training providers, will be on hand to answer any of your burning questions about the qualifications required to get there.

5. They won’t cost you a penny! Everyone deserves a chance to find their dream role, which is why careers fairs tend to be free to enter. Better yet, some businesses hand out complementary merch, so you could leave with more than just a head full of ideas.  

Find a show near you at our events page.