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Grad Jobs and Placements Fair

Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 October 2023, 11am - 3pm, Exhibition Centre, Campus West

This fair features organisations recruiting for graduate schemes, placement years and internships. Check each employer's entry ‌requirements and be aware that many companies may recruit from any degree discipline. 

At this term's fairs:

  • CV reviews - come and get your CV checked by one of the Careers and Placements team in a drop-in on the day.
  • LinkedIn photos - have a photo taken for your LinkedIn profile
  • Work wardrobe - for students who need a professional outfit for work or interviews, choose from items donated by York Cares partners (free of charge).
  • C‌areers and Placements stand - come and talk to us about our support for York graduates
  • Fair buddy - If you feel nervous about approaching an employer at the fair, help is available! Whether you find the situation difficult because of a disability or health condition, anxiety or any other reason, come and talk to us on the Careers and Placements stand. A member of our team will be happy to have a chat with you and then help initiate your conversation with an employer.

More information, and register in Handshake

Grad Jobs and Placements Fair Day One: Tuesday 10 October

Grad Jobs and Placements Fair Day Two: Wednesday 11 October

"I thought [the fair] was going to be very intimidating but instead it was the exact opposite. Everyone was friendly and provided lots of useful information, even about jobs I didn’t know existed! It has helped me immensely.”  (Jobs Fair, summer 2022)

Prepare for the fair

How to prepare

We have fairs on campus in Semester 1 (for graduate jobs, placement years/year in industry and internships), and Semester 2 (for final year undergraduates and postgraduates looking for graduate roles). You'll get much more out of the recruitment fairs (and make a great impression!) if you prepare in advance:

  • Check who is coming - exhibitors are listed on the fairs pages, with links to their profiles in Handshake. Identify which companies interest you the most
  • Research companies' websites so you can talk with their representatives about what interests you and ask relevant questions
  • Update your profile in Handshake to reflect your experience and interests; add your CV in your documents and make it public to employers. (Make use of our CV resources and CareerSet first!)
  • Look at our Networking page for tips on talking to employers

If you'd like to chat with one of the Careers and Placements team before the fair, come to a drop-in (11am - 1pm, Mon - Fri in Semester 1) or send us a question via Handshake.

Are grad schemes for you? Wednesday 4 October, 6pm - find out about graduate schemes and the wide range of jobs open to you. (Focus on Arts and Humanities students, but open to all)

Talking to employers

  • Job fairs offer you the chance to talk to company employees in a fairly informal environment. You'll be able to find out about the organisation and the roles they're offering. And you'll get a better feel for the culture of the organisation and whether it's a good fit for you.
  • Do your research beforehand - check who's coming to the fair. Use company websites to find out as much as possible about the company: its work, values, culture and current news or challenges. You can then talk to employers at the fair to ask further questions - and show them you've already been motivated enough to find out about their organisation!
  • Have a shortlist of employers you're especially interested in, but keep an open mind and look at others too - they might have just what you're looking for. Look beyond the company name - company identity and sector are important, but remember that any company will have a variety of roles, eg tech companies employ people for marketing and HR roles as well as those with technical skills.
  • Think about the questions you'd like to ask, possibly including
    • the recruitment process
    • skills, experience and qualities sought
    • career development, training and qualifications you might study for
    • company ethos
  • Think about yourself, your skills and what interests you so you can answer employers' questions about
    • what attracts you to a particular role
    • your relevant skills and experience
    • what you know about the sector/industry
  • TargetJobs have some useful tips: How to make the most of graduate job fairs.
  • If you feel nervous about approaching an employer at the fair, help is available! Whether you find the situation difficult because of a disability or health condition, anxiety or any other reason, come and talk to us on the Careers and Placements stand. A member of our team will be happy to have a chat with you and then help initiate your conversation with an employer.

How does graduate recruitment work, and what jobs could I do?

Our website includes resources to help you understand how graduate recruitment works, and to get ideas for your next steps after graduation:

  • Graduate jobs web page
  • Applying and interviewing web pages for help with CVs, applications, assessments and interviews
  • Networking - start building your network
  • Exploring your options
  • Find out what other York graduates have done - visit York Profiles and Mentors and filter by subject / level of study / work sector
  • Check out our podcast, What do you actually do? where we interview graduates for career inspiration, top tips and insider knowledge in a wide range of jobs and sectors.
  • Talk to us - come and have a chat with one of our team. Choose from a drop-in or First Steps appointment for initial questions, or careers advice for a more in-depth discussion and guidance.

Are grad schemes for you? Wednesday 4 October, 6pm - find out about graduate schemes and the wide range of jobs open to you. (Focus on Arts and Humanities students, but open to all)

Organisations attending the fair

Remember that many of the organisations attending this fair are recruiting to a range of roles and will have vacancies for students from different subject disciplines.

Full list of exhibitors at the Grad Jobs and Placements Fairs

 

International students

Visa Options

Make sure you understand your visa options if you are hoping to stay and work in the UK after completing your course. You can find information on our pages for international students (Working after studies section). We recommend you read this information before the fair. Your main options will be the Graduate Route visa, which does not require employer sponsorship, or a points based Skilled Worker Visa if the employer is prepared to sponsor for graduate roles.

Think about what you can offer a UK employer, your strengths and motivation: as well as skills acquired through your course, you might bring cultural knowledge and awareness, language skills, understanding of global markets…

Talking to employers

Be aware that asking about salary and visa sponsorship is not the best way to start a conversation with an employer at the fair! They want to hear something about your skills, experience and enthusiasm, and to see that you have a genuine interest in their organisation. You could say something like:  I am studying International Management here, and am really interested in opportunities in xxxx – could you tell me a bit more about the xxxx programme on your website?  Ask questions about the company’s values and culture, projects and training.  Some of the people on the stand are probably recent graduates so ask them about their experience of the graduate training scheme.

Think about what you can offer, your strengths and motivation: as well as skills acquired through your course, you might bring cultural knowledge and awareness, language skills, understanding of global markets…

The employer representatives at the fair are unlikely to be immigration experts and are probably not the best people to talk to about visa sponsorship.  So do your research, decide which companies you are most interested in (see the section above, Prepare for the fair) and leave questions about visas and sponsorship until later in the recruitment process (interview or job offer).

Some of the organisations attending the fair (eg government departments / security-related) may have nationality or residence requirements, meaning they are unable to offer jobs to international applicants.