At LSE, there are lots of opportunities to meet and connect with employers, but how can you make the most of your time at these events? Read on for some ideas of questions you can ask employers, depending on what you’re looking to find out, and some top tips for preparing to attend a careers fair or employer recruitment and networking event.

Increase your understanding of your career options

Careers fairs offer a rich opportunity to increase your understanding of a sector, specific jobs and what the differences are between employers.

Asking open questions can help you to discover much more than is on the company websites. Here are some examples:

• Could tell me about some of the projects that graduates/interns worked on this year/summer?
• Could you tell me what sorts of roles graduates have gone on to within your organisation after their training?
• What would you say are the best things about working for your firm/organisation?
• What are your key strategic priorities at the moment and how might my work feed into these?
• I am looking for opportunities as an experienced hire. Given my experience in (X), which teams and roles in your organisation would you recommend I consider?

Improve your applications and interview preparation

If you have a good understanding of the employer’s needs, you can tailor your application to showcase the skills and experience that are going to be of most interest to them. The questions above will help you to identify what makes an organisation different from its competitors.

Other useful questions to ask include:

• In your opinion, what attributes do you see in the graduates who thrive in your organisation?
• Are there any common mistakes that students make in their applications and interviews?
• Can you recommend anything I can do this year to improve my chances when I apply in the future?

Top tips

Before the fair

Do research into participating employers. Identify those that align with your career interests. Learn about their opportunities and see what they emphasise on their recruitment pages. This will allow you to ask far better questions on the day.

At the fair

More often than not, there are so many employers at a fair that you couldn’t possibly visit them all. And we wouldn’t recommend you try! It’s best that you prioritise visiting your top-choice organisations.

Another tip is to jot down key points from your conversations at the fairs. Who did you meet, what did you talk about – it’s important to have this information for your applications and for any follow-up you send.

After the fair

Send thank you emails to employers you spoke to at the event.

Take time to reflect on your conversations. Did the work sound interesting to you? Could you see yourself working for the employer and with the sorts of people you met?

Visit our ‘Connect with your future’ webpage for more information about events you can join this term.