1. Apprenticeship / College-leaver Careers Fair 3/2/15 12-3pm Rotherfield Hall PREPARATION

2. Exhibitor list Davis Tate (Estate agent) British Airways (wide range)
CILEX (Law apprenticeships)
Kaplan (Accountancy)
RSSL (Science trainee roles)
Fujitsu (Business, HR, IT)
BMW (Engineering, Business)
Army
Navy
Oxon, South Oxon and Vale councils (wide range)
Davis Tate (Estate agent)
British Airways (wide range)
British Gas (Customer Service, Engineering)
Henley College Training (Childcare, Hairdressing, Business, Engineering, Teaching assistant, Hospitality)
PWC (Accountancy, Tax)
Future Talent (Job directory)
QA (IT training provider incl. Microsoft)
Waitrose
Ignite Sports (Coaching apprenticeships)
Network Rail (Engineering)
JTL (Building Services Engineering)
TAS (Science apprenticeships)
Invesco (Financial Services)
Thames Valley Apprenticeships
Police

3. Why prepare?
One opportunity this year to see all these companies in one place
You want to make a good impression
It might lead to a real job opportunity
It might lead to valuable work experience
It is great networking practice
You can ask companies directly about their opportunities, what sort of candidates they are looking for and much more
It will help you make the decision about whether to apply to university, apply for a trainee/apprenticeship role, or both!

4. Research to do beforehand
Study the exhibitor list
Research the company websites for those of interest
Make some notes
Plan some questions N.B. You will be asked to sign in to the event and to fill in a short questionnaire on exit to give feedback to improve the event in the future.

5. What questions could you ask?
What different types of opportunity do you offer? (College-leaver, graduate…)
What are the entry qualifications?
What else are you looking for from a good candidate? (Personality, hobbies, skills…)
What sort of work experience would help me with my application?
What are the career prospects?
Does your company sponsor employees through university qualifications?
What salary could I expect to earn initially and in 5 years’ time?
How long is the training period?
Where would I be based?
What do you most and least like about your job?
Where are your opportunities advertised? How do I apply? Is it an interview, assessment centre….?
What advice would you give me?
Take a notebook and pen to record important information.
Why not take a few copies of your CV along to hand to those exhibitors you are most interested in?

6. AFTER THE EVENT: now is the time for action! What should you do?
Look through all the information you have collected – throw away the rubbish and organise the rest.
Can you register on relevant websites, ‘Like’ Facebook pages, use Twitter or LinkedIn to keep up to date with developments?
Follow-up with any specific contacts you made.
Is there more research you can do on other opportunities now that you have some ideas?
Did the event give you contacts or ideas about work experience that will help future applications?
Can you improve your CV now that you know the sort of skills and qualities employers are looking for?
When are the deadline dates for the companies you are interested in? Work towards these.
Practice your interview skills
See Learnzone – Careers and Higher Education for advice and guidance.
Be organised about your jobsearch – keep a record of all actions, replies etc.
What are you going to do now? MAKE AN ACTION PLAN TODAY!