International Career Fairs: do they really work? Eleni Antoniou, Student Employment and Events Manager, City University London

Definition – can we agree on one? An international careers fair will feature employers who recruit in countries outside the EU Can the event also feature employers who offer national schemes in the UK? (e.g. the different China national schemes) How about employers who sponsor work permits for international students to stay in the UK? How about EU employers who are also happy to sponsor a work permit for suitable international candidates? How about employers who are keen to recruit EU students for their EU offices?

Definition: what did we agree on? Our international careers fair will feature employers who: recruit in countries outside the EU offer national schemes in the UK (e.g. the different China national schemes) sponsor work permits for international students to stay in the UK

Why run an International Fair? Increasing number of international students in UK Universities Makes international students feel more valued as the event is tailored to their needs Easily fits with most Universities objectives on internationalisation – extra PR for the Careers Service as well as extra funding Employers values cultural experience and language skills of international students Can help establish relationships with employers based outside the UK Helps raise the University’s profile amongst international employers Opportunity for careers staff to do research and expand their knowledge of international recruitment

Things to consider Will you manage to get an adequate number of employers on board? Do UK employers feel any need to promote themselves to international students? Are recruitment practices of international employers similar to those that are UK-based? Make sure you select stats on international students at your University before contacting employers. A lot of research is necessary – more time consuming than a usual careers fair Need to make it very clear to students who exactly the fair is targeting Need to think outside the box – alter your marketing strategy and adopt various methods of approach.

City University International fairs 21 st November 07: International Careers fair (on-campus) – open to students from any UK university -10 employers, 270 students th November 08: Virtual International Careers Fair – open to students from any UK University - 10 employers so far, most of them looking to recruit international students mainly for their UK offices

Why are we going virtual? The students wanted to see more international recruiters attending and more countries represented. International recruiters would not come to London just to attend a recruitment fair, especially if they are not recruiting huge numbers of students/graduates. Online recruitment has become a standard procedure for many employers of graduates. By having the fair take place online, it will give everyone the opportunity to attend at a minimum cost and effort. The fair can run for as long as we want (initial suggestion is 3 days) thus providing better access to all students, unlike a campus fair. International students from any UK University can attend, thus increasing attendance numbers. Able to accommodate more employers and more students than a campus fair (no restrictions apply) but at the same time it won’t look embarrassing if attendance levels are not very good.

Primary components of our virtual fair the Fair will operate actively 24/7 the site will remain open in a passive state for a further three- month period and students will be able to access employer profiles and the transcripts of the online discussions Browsable lists of employers on navigation menu direct web-links to the exhibitors’ online recruitment sites and application areas real-time online chat rooms to provide a forum for exhibitors and students to speak directly to one another facility for students to upload their CVs and send them to employers a job search facility using a variety of filters

Planning:what are the stages involved? Decide on the aim of the event – which students/employers will you be targeting? Choose software package and customisation Service level agreement with software provider Compile employer contact lists and send invitations (contact international office at your University, academics and international embassies in the UK) Put together marketing plan (one for employers and one for students) – Review and update this regularly Always come back to your objectives and re-adjust your strategy if necessary

Marketing Exercise – 10 mins Divide in groups of 4 and discuss: What marketing channels would you use to promote an international fair to employers? What marketing channels would you use to promote an international fair to students?

Marketing to employers: some ideas  Contact your International office – they often have useful contact lists.  Raise awareness amongst academic staff so that they can pass on useful contacts.  Promotion through the alumni office & alumni newsletter.  Contact Embassies in the UK to get links to business contacts  Contact the British Council in the countries you are targeting.

Marketing to students Newsfeed on University homepage Make sure your international office are aware of the event Contact international societies through your Students Union Facebook: send invitations to relevant societies Ensure you have a presence at the international students reception / welcome day

Some of the difficulties we faced Explaining to employers what the purpose of an international fair is and who is eligible to attend - especially to non-UK based employers Explaining to employers the benefits of attending a virtual fair and the structure of the event Getting country-specific employers to attend the event (i.e. not just multinational organisations) Creating an up-to-date contact list of international employers Explaining the purpose of the event to the students and who is eligible to attend It will be harder to make sure that only appropriate candidates attend

Lessons learned Make sure you have an up-to-date contact list of international employers Have a very clear definition of what your event will be about and try to stick to this Make sure your students are clear about the purpose and content of the event Don’t stray from your goals and objectives but be prepared to adopt different working practices

What do other Universities do? The University of Melbourne : Virtual Careers Fair NACE – International Student Virtual Career Fair - fault.htm fault.htm

Questions?