Expectation and interaction: Student and employer approaches to university careers fairs

Abstract

This article sets out to explore why those who attend university careers fairs choose to do so; what expectations they have and how these are formed; what motivates attendance; and how do they themselves understand these choices. Furthermore, it aims to determine their interpretation of what happens at these events and the extent to which careers fairs facilitate access to the graduate labour market. This paper concludes that rationales for attending are unique to the individual and expectations are manifold for students and recruiters alike, often based on intricate combinations of agency, structure and capital.