More than 70 of the region’s biggest employers were on campus this week for De Montfort University Leicester (DMU)’s annual Graduate Recruitment and Placements Fair.
The event, which took place at The Venue@DMU on Tuesday and Wednesday is part of the Leicester Business Festival, the region’s largest business event.
Over the two days, DMU students and graduates met businesses and made new contacts, while firms could raise awareness about the different roles they offer within their organisations.
Among the companies that attended are clothing and homeware giant NEXT, global online retailer ASOS, the world’s biggest rental company Enterprise Rent-a-Car, home furnishings company Dunelm and energy firm E-on, as well as University Hospitals of Leicester, Hewlett Packard, HMRC and PWC.
William Aldwinckle, a 2nd Year Business Management said: “I’m here because I want to get more information about what options are available for me.
“I want to go into Human Resources or Marketing and I’ve found the event extremely useful.
“It is also a great opportunity to meet new people as sometimes it’s about knowing people when looking for a job in industry.
“I believe I am a team player, a hard worker, I am punctual and reliable and these are all the messages I am trying to get across to employers today.”
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DMU has developed strong links with companies in the region so students can learn more about employment opportunities closer to Leicester, rather than joining the ‘graduate brain drain’ to London.
DMU’s exceptional employability record for students was highlighted earlier this year when it was awarded Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework. It was praised for embedding employability across the curriculum in every faculty. An analysis of its performance by education organisation WonkHE ranked it no. 1 in the country for helping students find highly skilled work or further study.
Holly Murray, a 3rd year Business and Law student said: "The employers here today aren’t asking too many questions, it’s more of a conversation about what they can offer for me and what I’m looking for. It’s a very comfortable and reassuring atmosphere.
“I’m not 100% sure what I want to go into yet, but it’s great that DMU provide this opportunity to employers to showcase what they’re about and what they can offer.”
Sannah Mughal, from the same course, said: “Today, I’m exploring my possible future career paths and what I want to do after I’ve graduated.
“I am finding it really useful, as I have learning what qualifications I need for particular job roles and skillsets that employers are looking for.”
Shaun Foster is recruiter for NEXT’s buying and merchandising department. He said: “At NEXT we are looking for students to be well prepared, to have done their research, and know about analysis and supply chain issues. For the buying side, people who live and breathe fashion, they live on Pinterest and Instagram, can talk about trends.”
Applicants to NEXT are expected to complete online tests, telephone interviews and assessment days as part of the process for graduate roles.
Lisa Bilimoria, DMU’s Employer Engagement Assistant Manager, said last year, more than 2,000 students attended the event.
She said: “The aim of the event is to bring recruiters and our students together under one roof to provide our students with the chance to speak to potential employers face to face.”
Students could also meet members of DMU’s employability team who provide advice and support with interviews, CVs, and the recruitment process.
Posted on Thursday 26 October 2017