Become a CA Careers Fair – advice
To ensure you are still able to meet employers and hear more about their training vacancies, ICAS will be hosting a virtual Become a CA Careers Fair on 11 October.
Our virtual event will start with an overview of ICAS and our Chartered Accountancy traineeship programme, followed by an opportunity to chat to our partner employers, who will be able to give you more information on their traineeship offering, and what is involved. Just like an in-person Careers Fair, this gives you a great opportunity to talk to employers and find out more about working in the profession.
Tips for getting the most out of the event.
Check that the technology is working - Ahead of the event, take a few moments to check that your video and sound are working. You want to be able to see and hear what is going on and it will save you a lot of stress on the day if you have checked everything is working ahead of time.
Have your video on when speaking to employers - It may not be the most comfortable situation to meet a prospective employer but being visible (literally) and letting the employer get to know you a little bit and put a name to a face is always beneficial.
Make sure you are representing yourself well - Remember this is where employers get their first impression of you, so have a think about the ways in which you present yourself. You might want to think about where you’re sitting, what can be seen around you and if you’re in a private quiet place so you can have a good conversation with employers. These things will also reduce your own stress. I know when I have a big meeting, I don’t want my little dog barking in the background (not that I can stop him, but I try!). Casual but smart dress is never a bad idea (particularly what will be seen on camera).
Come prepared - If you’re interested in a career in the accountancy profession, then have a think about what you want to find out about the employer. It’s a good idea to have a couple of questions prepared for when you are talking to someone. If there is something you really want to know about then make sure to ask as this is a key opportunity. You have access to the stands ahead of the conversations so have a think about questions and do some research on what you are interested in finding out about.
Have a look at company websites - 9 times out of 10 companies have an ‘about us’ section on the website where you can find out more about their business/organisation and what the culture and goals of the company is – take advantage of this free information!
Speak to lots of companies - Even if you have a particular or preferred employer in mind, speaking to a variety of employers will give you a full picture of the opportunities available to you and a range of perspectives on the industry. It is also great experience speaking to someone and asking questions and you never know - you might one day want to work there.
Listen and write down things from your conversations - This might help you in the future when you are thinking about applying for a traineeship or job opportunity with one of the companies you have spoken to. It is really valuable being able to weave something you have chatted about into an application; it will demonstrate you have done your homework when applying – for example saying, “speaking with Mr Smith at the ICAS CA Careers Fair I was really interested in the values and culture of the company and this plus x, y and x is why I am applying for this role.”
Enjoy yourself - Networking and meeting people online for the first time is hard, especially at the moment, and at a time when we are busy and trying to juggle lots of things it can feel a bit overwhelming. Come along with a positive attitude and try to have a good time! Everyone is in a similar situation so try to embrace the opportunity even if it isn’t the one you were expecting.
