The return of the LCF Careers Fair with Graduate Futures

Students and staff celebrated the return of the in-person LCF Careers Fair this week, with record turnouts, seeing 570 students and graduates visiting the event. This was an exciting space for them to explore their professional development and learn from leading players in the creative industry.

This is LCF’s largest careers event of the academic year, giving students the opportunity to network with industry and receive valuable industry insights that can help improve their employability. On the day LCF Graduate Futures hosted 18 brands and companies covering all aspects of employment, from part time work and placements to graduate schemes, including; LVMH, Gucci, COS, Pentland, Theory Group, Harrods and Mulberry. In addition to attending the fair, Mango ran interviews for long-term placement opportunities for our second-year students, interviewing for roles across design and business sectors.

Professional and personal development has become a priority among our LCF student community, especially when preparing for life after university. The LCF Careers Fair helped them connect with industry, to discover which companies they align their values to and how they can begin their journey. However, the motives for engaging in events like this are shifting with students and graduates now focusing more on the networking element rather than simply role searching.

Students particularly enjoyed being able to “network and talk with the representatives” and valued “being able to have your questions directly answered”

Many brands representatives’ key advice for students attending the fair was to identify what you want, the companies you want to work for and the values you hold so you can find the best brand ‘fit’ for you and your career. From ethics to sustainability to innovation in design, they highlighted how important it is for students to know what they want when communicating with potential employers, and to articulate themselves clearly and professionally. Reiss embodied these ideals by showcasing the importance of sustainability to them as a brand when they provided professional headshots for students' LinkedIn profiles, rather than merchandise.

Immersing yourself in a brand's culture was a recurring theme among the industry guests present on the day, with our industry guests thriving of the fact that students were also interviewing them. LCF Graduate Futures is proud to help students develop these vital communication skills through providing industry focused events like the Careers Fair. Events like this offer students the chance to build awareness of the positive first impressions they can make with brands from proactively networking, but also the chance to reflect on their career values.

• Connect with Graduate Futures
• What’s on at LCF: open days and events
• More LCF Stories