MUSSE

Students talk with an employer at the Global Opportunities Fair.

The second Global Opportunities Fair took place on Monday 8 September at Union House, presented by Careers and Employment.

The Fair offers students the unique opportunity to meet face to face with international companies to discuss overseas work opportunities and internships. Students are interviewed on the day or following the event.

Approximately 30 international companies were represented, including World Vision, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, Contact Singapore, Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong Economics & Trade Office and Microsoft Corporation.

Over 1,000 local and international students attended the event, talking to the diverse range of industries represented including Engineering, Commerce, Education and Humanitarian and Experiential Travel.

Emily Trembath, International Careers & Employment Officer, said: “Our Melbourne students are highly sought-after graduates worldwide.”

Melbourne has recently been ranked No. 9 in the world by employers in the 2008 Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Major global and national employers across the public and private sectors were surveyed to identify the universities they preferred when hiring graduates.

“Something that was really fantastic about this year’s fair was that it was very much a fair for both local and international students. The companies were diverse, making it a very appealing and interesting mix,” Ms Trembath said.

Ms Trembath said many local students attend the event because they are interested in beginning their dream career overseas.

“The highly educated and increasingly mobile student community sees the event as a unique opportunity to find out about career and job opportunities globally and to engage directly with employers.

“Students at the University of Melbourne are encouraged to think of themselves as global citizens and the Global Opportunities Fair really supports this philosophy.”

The event was followed by an employer network function where University staff were able to meet informally with the human resources staff of the represented companies to learn more about the opportunities with their organisations.

Feedback on the day from employers and students was very positive, with both sides commenting on the benefits of holding such an event.

For information visit: http://careersonline.acs.unimelb.edu.au/…