Career fairs have plenty to offer
Gayatri Rajwade

As trends go, education and career fairs are like sale bonanzas. Under a single roof, you get to choose from a vast array of educational information, criteria for admission and selection and, of course, job options, all first hand. What these fairs offer in plenty is exposure to a world, intangible and unreachable as yet, but certainly within grasp.

For countries like ours where students outside metros rarely get a chance to such options, these fairs make for good common sense. A lot of companies organising these educational fests are now realising this and are travelling the interiors of the country in their bid to tap young dreams. They offer a chance to youngsters to interact with people and explore options which they would not have thought probable.

Twentytwo-year-old Pritpal Singh, who comes from Bathinda every time there is an educational fair in Chandigarh, says: "I want to go to Australia and study to become a doctor."

Success is a matter of time. These youngsters are willing to chase their dreams and seize opportunities.

Global Events & Exposition recently held a career and education fair in the city to which the response was ‘tremendous’, says Siddharth Jain, its Chief of Marketing Operations. "We have over 2,000 persons coming in a single day and most of them want to study in a foreign university. In fact, this region has the highest number of students interested in education abroad. Therefore, it makes sense to bring a host of institutes, consultants and options here."

Foreign institutes and consultants offering options and advice have been quick to realise this and are working overtime to offer interesting ideas and options to young people. Liza Campanella from the Institute of Australian Education (a private limited company in Australia) makes students fill forms regarding the curriculum they would be interested in and then sends a prospectus giving information about the most suitable colleges in Australia, free of cost. "When the student realises the effort we are willing to put into his future, he comes through us into the country. That is our reward."

The moot point here is that career and education fairs also make sound business sense for the participating consultants and educational institutions and therefore should be treated with a pinch of salt. It will do well to remember that no venture that does not have a sound business model will survive.

Most educational institutions and consultants believe that this is simply a way of exposing the students to information vis-`E0-vis the options available. At a recent career fair in the city, Indian Air Force representatives from Chandigarh participated primarily to publicise the job opportunities available with them.

Also, most universities and colleges, both in India and abroad, do not recruit directly from these fairs and hence students coming should be prepared to go through the usual admission procedure. What they can gain in the bargain is a direct contact with the institution they like and all relevant information they need.

Apart from this, it is imperative that young people do their own research in their fields of choice and decide on what is best for them by interacting at fairs with other students and with representatives of other institutions.

So, reach out for options abroad; an opportunity to study logistics, a career option with the merchant navy, management institutes, etc, foreign education consultants are all at your fingertips to help with that all encompassing question-your future.