Looking for a job can be a daunting task, especially when it seems like so often you’re sending your CV off into the ether. Is anyone listening?
The biggest challenge is making the initial connection with an employer, and that is the beauty of the Finding Ada Online Careers Fair for Women in STEM, sponsored by Xero, to be held on 1 February 2018 from 09:00 to 17:00 GMT. It’s a great opportunity for recent graduates, returners, and women early in their STEM careers to speak with recruiters from elite employers including ARM, CapGemini and Accenture. And we’re adding more employers all the time. The IET will also be on hand to talk about professional development, membership and how to become a chartered or incorporated engineer.
You might already have been to a career fair or two, but the Finding Ada Online Career Fairs are different. Searching for a job can be a nightmare of nerves, but with our career fair, you can connect with recruiters at major companies not only on neutral territory but from anywhere, including your own home. There is no better way to cut down on jitters than to break the ice from the comfort of your own lounge.
Signing up is easy
Great employers and a low-stress way to get an edge with your job search, you say? Sign me up! That’s easy too. The first step is to create a profile on GoIntro, the platform hosting the careers fair.
GoIntro has a great step-by-step tutorial on how to set up your profile and make a great first impression with the employers. The easiest way to sign up is to visit the Finding Ada Online Careers Fair page on GoIntro, click “Create an Account”, fill in your details and click “I’m a Candidate”. Or if you arrive at the event page, click on the big blue button that says, “I want to attend”, click “Sign Up”, fill in your details and click “I’m a Candidate”.
Now it’s time to fill out your profile, including details of your education, your technical skills and a few personal details such as email address and mobile phone number. GoIntro doesn’t share your personal details with anyone else. You probably have all of the information to hand from your CV.
Like a lot of online accounts, there is one more step. You need to authorise your account via a link you will receive by email. That’s it, in terms of setting up your profile.
Tailor your profile
It is always a good idea to do a bit of research into the companies that you’re interested in speaking to, and tailor your profile to fit. Ask yourself how you can best illustrate that your experiences and interests make you suitable for the positions you’d like to apply for. Try to imagine what questions recruiters might have for you. Can you answer those in your profile?
GoIntro allows you to upload a project or create a portfolio, so you can highlight your experience and skills, and talk about projects and experiences you’re proud of. It’s a great way to show prospective employers how you’ve put your education into practice if you’re a student or recent graduate, or to show how you’ve grown during your career if you’re looking for a new role.
The more research that you do for your profile and on the companies that you want to speak to on 1 February during the Finding Ada Online Careers Fair, the better you will be prepared for the conversations you’ll have. Take a look at the employers and organisations that are taking part, what skills they’re looking for, and where they have vacancies. Think about some questions that you might ask the recruiters about the jobs on offer, and about their company. Employers love speaking to candidates who have taken the trouble to research the business and can talk about what they have seen and why they feel a particular affinity with a certain organisation.
And if you’ve got a friend or classmate who is also looking, make sure to let them know about the fair. This is the first Finding Ada Online Careers Fair, but we want to build this into an event that connects the best women in STEM with the best employers.
So sign up now, and good luck!
The Finding Ada Online Careers Fair for Women in STEM was sponsored by Xero, a beautiful, easy-to-use online accounting software for small businesses and their advisors. It has over one million subscribers in more than 180 countries, with more than 250,000 of those in the UK.
Dawn Childs is the Group Engineering Director for Merlin Entertainments Group with responsibility for engineering delivery, standards, practices and processes of the worldwide portfolio of more than 120 theme parks, resorts and attractions. This stretches over 5 continents and encompasses many UK household names such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Chessington, Blackpool Tower and Warwick Castle as well as all of the SEALIFEs, LEGOLANDs, Madame Tussaud’s, Dungeons and Eyes around the World.
Dr Kat Arney is a science writer and broadcaster whose work has featured in the New Scientist, Wired, The Guardian, the Times Educational Supplement, BBC Radio 4, the Naked Scientists and more. In 2016, she published her critically-acclaimed first book, 
