Between 23 and 25 February Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU) will once again organise the KSU Careers and Research Fair. The aim of this three-day event is to showcase a diverse range of job opportunities available for students after their graduation from the University of Malta.

For the first time ever, the student council saw this as an opportunity to both manifest and promote ongoing research at the University of Malta.

However, one might ask if such initiatives are supported or at least recognised by various entities and institutes? Student organisations are dedicating hours from their own free time in trying to create opportunities for their peers to pursue the right path for their dream job. These opportunities are not only beneficial for the students but rather to all society.

Are such job fairs a waste of time for the job seeker? Today it is becoming too easy to just job search from the comfort of your home and one may easily forget that there are more effective ways to find a job nowadays. Activities like the KSU Careers and Research fair, create a platform where students can meet in a less formal setting. Students should take advantage of this as it will provide them with an opportunity to ask as many questions as they want without being worried about the usual etiquette.

Different entities will disseminate their contact information, which might enlarge their network, give feedback regarding received resume and might also schedule a job interview. The KSU Careers and Research fair, will consist of sessions and countless information regarding interview skills, CV building and also candidate presentation. By browsing the open positions and talking to recruiters, the visitor can judge whether their current skill set would be suitable for their future career. Such job fairs could serve even as opportunities for working abroad.

These opportunities created by students for students, will help the job seeker to meet others who are there for the same reason. They can share tips and feedback and may even look for ways to help each other out. Job fairs such as the KSU Careers and Research fair will create an environment where students can ask questions and get answers on the spot, which will aid in creating their future. During this fair besides the showcase of companies there will also be presentations by job search coaches, employees from different companies and also different researchers.

The KSU Careers and Research fair is an opportunity created from the perseverance and commitment of the students, in order to create a forum were students can check their career prosperities and while being recruited may take on more training.

The organisers would like the relevant authorities and institutions to support such activities in order to ensure that youths are really empowered. It is always important for student organisations to receive credit when embarking onto promote research activity and job creation.