More companies than ever before are set to attend this year's
Loughborough University Graduate Recruitment and Placements Fair,
which takes place on Wednesday 27 October.
Over 120 businesses and organisations will be hoping to attract
some of the UK's brightest and best graduates at the event.
Run by Loughborough's Careers and Employability Centre, the
annual Fair is the largest event of its kind in the East Midlands
and regularly draws some of the biggest names in business from the
finance and banking, retail and engineering sectors among others.
The event provides Loughborough students with the chance to meet
recruiters from some of the UK's leading companies. Among the
attendees this year are HSBC, Marks and Spencer, Jaguar Land Rover,
and business advisory firm Deloitte.
Darren Page is the Graduate Recruitment Manager at Deloitte in
the Midlands. He said: "In 2011, Deloitte will be recruiting more
than 1,100 graduates and undergraduates into our Audit, Tax,
Consulting and Corporate Finance service lines. Supporting and
attending the Loughborough University Graduate Recruitment and
Placements Fair provides us with an opportunity to communicate that
message to the high numbers of quality students who will be
attending.
"We know that events such as this are widely publicised by the
Careers and Employability Centre at the University, and one of the
key reasons why the event is so popular is down to the
encouragement that students are given, to make time to speak to
employers who'll be there on the day. It is likely to be the first
time a high number of students get to engage with Deloitte people
and we hope it's these discussions that result in Loughborough
University students finding out more about the breadth and variety
of careers available to them.
"From our perspective, Loughborough students have a good mixture
of sound technical and commercial awareness, and drive and
determination to succeed, which can be demonstrated through their
participation in sport and other extra-curricular team-based
activities, and is also needed to be successful when completing
professional qualifications. It is these attributes which make them
highly sought after."
Around 3,000 students are expected to visit this year's Fair in
a bid to find out more about the employment options available to
them and to benefit from valuable careers advice from the
University's advisers.
Dominic Wright, who is in his final year studying Civil
Engineering at Loughborough, will be among those attending.
"I want to make sure I have the best possible chance of getting
a good job when I graduate," he explained. "I'd like to go into the
finance industry so this Fair is an excellent opportunity for me to
see what's out there and, perhaps most importantly at this stage,
what I need to be doing to make sure I boost my chances of
employment within that industry when I finish my degree."
Louise Donaghy, Employer Liaison Manager at Loughborough
University's Careers and Employability Centre, said these days
students are becoming much more aware of the need to maximise their
employability.
"It's obviously more challenging for students today in this
current climate, not only to secure a job when they graduate but to
gain a foothold on their chosen career path. Events such as this
show them the variety of opportunities that are available and help
them to make valuable contacts within business," she said.
Loughborough is one of the top 20 universities targeted by
large, graduate employers, according to the Graduate Market report
published by Higher Fliers. Many of the University's courses are
designed and sponsored by industry, which means that Loughborough
students develop the knowledge, skills and qualities required by
business.