At the University of East Anglia (UEA), careers fairs give businesses the opportunity to engage directly with ambitious, motivated students and graduates from a wide range of disciplines. If you’re a local SME looking to grow your team or build longer-term talent pipelines, exhibiting at a careers fair can deliver real value.
Raise your brand awareness among future talent
One of the biggest advantages of attending a careers fair is visibility. Students and graduates are constantly exploring career possibilities, researching employers, and considering where they might fit after university.
For local businesses and SMEs in particular, careers fairs are also a valuable way to showcase opportunities that students may not otherwise discover.
Promote current and upcoming opportunities
Careers fairs provide direct access to students and graduates actively thinking about their next steps. Whether you are recruiting for immediate vacancies, internships, placement years, graduate programmes, or future roles, face-to-face conversations allow you to explain opportunities in a way that job adverts alone cannot.
These conversations often lead to applications — but importantly, they tend to lead to more informed and engaged applications from candidates who already understand the organisation and role.
Improve the quality of applications
One of the most valuable aspects of careers fairs is the chance to have honest, practical conversations about recruitment processes and expectations.
This benefits both sides. Students gain clearer insight into how to present themselves effectively, while employers are more likely to receive applications that genuinely match their requirements.
Build personal connections efficiently
In just a couple of hours, employers can have dozens of meaningful conversations, identify promising candidates, and make positive first impressions that can last well beyond the event itself.
For many organisations, it is an extremely effective investment of time — particularly when compared with the cost and reach of other recruitment methods.
Final thoughts
University careers fairs are about much more than filling immediate vacancies. They are an opportunity to build awareness, strengthen recruitment pipelines, and connect directly with the next generation of talent. For businesses looking to attract motivated students and graduates, careers fairs at UEA offer a valuable space to start those conversations.
We’re in the process of planning our careers fairs for the academic year starting in September. Get in touch if you’d like to know more about having a stand at a fair, including:
• Volunteering Fair (September)
• Part-Time Student Jobs Fair (September)
• Grad Schemes, Internships and Placements (October)
• Law Fair (October)
• STEM Careers Fair (November)
• Graduate Careers Fair (May)
Email [email protected] or head to our employer website