What did you think of the RU Career Fair 2012?
RUGlobal visited the RU Career Fair on 23 February 2012 and asked five students what they thought of this year's Career Fair. The five students were generally very enthusiastic about the event, but some of them suggested changes.
Sandra Narud, student of Psychology and Communication Studies
What did you think of the RU Career Fair 2012?
I thought it was really good. I got some good impressions and spoke to some interesting businesses. This is my first time at the RU Career Fair, so I didn't know what to expect. I spoke to the Municipality of Roskilde, HR at the Municipality of Næstved, Danske Bank and a business called Job Vision.
Did your visit to the fair today result in any contacts or opportunities?
Yes, I think so. I found inspiration and received information about what goes on in the labour market within the field I would like a career. For example, I am currently looking for a work placement, and my visit to the fair today enabled me to explore the opportunities in that specific field. It was interesting to talk to people who are working in HR and learn more about their tasks etc. There are definitely some websites that I want to check out and some applications I want to send. I actually feel I now have something to move on from. So I was very impressed with the career fair. I didn't think I would get that much specific information out of it.
Jakob Kirkegaard, Public Administration
What did you think of the RU Career Fair 2012?
I think there are not enough businesses you can meet. Too many of the businesses are looking for candidates in a too narrow context. As a student of social sciences, for example, there are perhaps only two or three businesses of interest. The businesses at the fair do not offer enough specific information, which means that you end up making small talk. I think the idea of having a career fair is really, really good, but unfortunately the specific format of the fair is not that good. The businesses should have provided more specific information. A few of them, though, have said: "Visit this website, or participate in this". However, I think the problem is that there are not enough jobs and that there is no need for labour, so you can't really say that it's anyone's fault or that it's a bad event. It's just a shame that conditions are like this right now.
Ane Carlsen, Communication Studies and Cultural Encounters
What did you think of the RU Career Fair 2012?
I just arrived, but my first impression is that it's a very interesting event. I have 2½ years left of my studies, but I still think it's extremely interesting to feel the pulse of the job market and get a glimpse of the business community. It's nice to get an idea of what is waiting on the other side. I have talked to Bysted and to an unemployment insurance fund. During my talk with the unemployment insurance fund, I was encouraged to apply for a student job with them, so I have already gained a lot from being here. That is pretty fantastic, I think.
I think it's really nice to see real life being brought into the university in this way. I often think that you can get completely engulfed in all your projects and theories which seem out of touch with the real business life. It's nice to get an overview of the various options available. I will be back next year, and I think that the closer I get to graduation, the more relevant the career fair will be to me.
Stina Knudsen, Social Sciences and Psychology
What did you think of the RU Career Fair 2012?
I think it's a really good initiative. I have been here a couple of times before, and I think it's great that different businesses and associations are here to tell us about who they are and what they actually do. I'm sure many students are wondering what staff at SKAT or Google are working with. So I think it's really good.
Have you learned anything from visiting the fair today?
Yes, I generally think that you learn a lot from visiting these events. You get answers. Also about some of the jobs that you would not normally see yourself in. It may become clearer to you if you want to work in the public or private sector, and what it means to work for a municipality, for example.
Ena Wulff Andersen, Informatics and Performance Design
What did you think of the RU Career Fair 2012?
I think it's a really cool initiative, and it's great that we have it. But I also think it's quite "messy": It's difficult to know who to talk to and why the different businesses want to meet us. Their posters do not tell us anything about what they can offer, or what they expect from us. Perhaps, they could become better at communicating what they hope to achieve from being here. Of course, we know that they are here for a purpose; otherwise, they wouldn't be here. But we can't really see what their purpose is.
Have you learned anything from visiting the fair today?
I learned that you can apply for internships at Google, which could be really interesting, and which I will take a closer look at.