So youre not going to the Big Careers Fair University of Manchester Careers Blog

So you’re not going to the Big Careers Fair University of Manchester Careers Blog Next week (9 and 10 October), we’re hosting the Big Careers Fair at Manchester Central Convention Centre. Maybe you know this already â€" you might have seen our adverts around campus,  someone may have mentioned it in a welcome lecture, or you’ve scrolled past a post on social media. Maybe though you’ve see it and thought none of this is for you you’re too busy, you’re not interested in banking or business, or you’ve never been to a fair before and don’t know what to do. Alternatively you think that all the employers attending are on the lookout for specific students and you don’t fit the bill. As much as you may think that it’s not for you, let me give you a few reasons why there will be something for you at the Big Careers Fair. Employers are interested in who you are, not what you studied Employers want to hire the right person, not the CV. Maybe you think that studying an arts degree makes you ineligible for finance, or you can’t get that dream job in digital marketing because you’re about to graduate from psychology, but many graduate jobs and placements are open to students from any discipline. Employers will often focus on your own individual qualities and strengths, outside of what youve  learnt in your degree. Day One of the fair has loads of opportunities from marketing, HR, finance, business and more. Day Two is focused on roles in engineering, technology and science, so the technical-based roles will be looking for students and graduates from certain backgrounds. So over the two days there really is something for everyone. Before you go you can have a look at the full list of employers attending online. Spend as much or as little time as you like The fair is open from 10.30am â€" 4pm each day; although by no means do you have to be there for all of it! The fair is designed for you to take it at your own pace. Spend a good chunk of your day at the fair and attend some of the talks, or just pop in and speak to one or two employers that you’ve researched in advance. Again you can have a look before hand to see what talks there are and which employers are attending. All the gear, or no idea â€" you will get something out of it Taylor Swift once said, ‘I try to prepare for everything beyond the extent of preparation’ and who could disagree with her? If you know exactly what you want to get out of the fair, and who to speak to, then turning up with a load of research under your belt and a stack of copies of your hot-off-the-press CV will stand you in good stead. If you don’t quite know what you’re after, and youre  a bit tentative about knowing what to do and who to speak to, you can still prepare by having a look at who’s attending and what kinds of roles and opportunities are on offer. We’ll also have an information point with Careers Service staff to help you get started. Ultimately, youve got nothing to lose. Who doesnt like a bit of window shopping? One of the best things about a careers fair is being to walk around and just take in all of the different companies on display â€" it’s a bit like window shopping, really. Just like there’s no pressure to buy anything, there’s no pressure to commit to deciding on the spot exactly what you’d want to do in the future! You can simply take a look around, and see if anything takes your fancy. You never know, something you thought would be a terrible fit for you actually suits you surprisingly well. There are opportunities for everyone To really hammer the point home, the one single thing that makes it a good idea to come along to next week’s Big Careers Fair is that there are opportunities open to everyone. No matter whether you’re a current student or a graduate, studying anything from accounting to zoology â€" with graduate jobs, internships and placement opportunities and a range of talks across the day, there’ll be something for you. Still not sure? If you’re still undecided, why not join the Facebook events for each day of the fair to  see what we have planned and make an informed decision? If you’d like to attend, you can sign up in advance using the Eventbrite links or show up on the day. The choice is yours â€" hope to see you then! Day 1 â€" Tuesday 9 October â€" opportunities in management, business, marketing, finance, HR and much more. Facebook event Sign up on Eventbrite Day 2 â€" Wednesday 10 October   opportunities in science, technology and engineering. Facebook event Sign up on Eventbrite All Events and fairs Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted careers Careers fair