Gef’s Guide to the Grad Fair (…so you don’t end up working at the TT Fair)

Get yourself ready because the fair is coming to town. No, I’m not talking about the TT fair. I’m obviously talking about the 2025 Graduate & Young Professional Fair, which may not have candy floss but will have lots of summer and long-term options for you, so you don’t end up working at the TT Fair.

Graduates, school leavers, and young professionals, listen up! This event is for you if you’re needing career inspo, searching for summer placements, or ready for a longer-term career path!

This year, the annual event has a new home at the Villa Marina where there’ll be over 55 recruiting businesses from a wide range of industry sectors for you to schmooze with, and put your questions to, including tech, finance, manufacturing and engineering, construction, biotech, hospitality, healthcare and more. You’ll also find some of the island’s top recruitment agencies on hand to support your job hunting journey and . All will be waiting to provide you with expert guidance and CV tips and advice. Don’t forget the free goodies to take home – I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been living off cream eggs ever since attending last year’s event?

There’ll be additional organisations joining the employers in the Royal Hall, including CISI, CIM and the Enterprise Support team, amongst others. Whilst they won’t be offering work-related roles, they will be offering some brilliant career support, opportunities and advice.

If you fancy a sit down during the event, then rest your legs WHILE gaining top career tips and inspiration from the Speaker Zone upstairs in the Colonnade Suite. There, young people and parents if they wish to attend, can gain expert career-ready tips, advice and inspiration from a range of panel sessions throughout the day. Why not grab yourself a drink and some food from the food truck on site, kick back and take in a selection of topics, including:

• Get Hired: Craft a standout CV, master interviews, and build a strong personal brand!
• Get Involved: Young Professionals leading community initiatives, hobbies, and clubs in the Isle of Man.
• A Business Start-Up Destination – Discover why the Isle of Man is a perfect destination for young entrepreneurs.
• Explore career opportunities in Sustainability and help build a sustainable future for all.
• Opportunities uncovered: Apprenticeships, Sixth Form, Graduate and Summer roles in the Isle of Man.

Even better, you’ll  have the opportunity to ask questions and network at the end of each talk. A full list of the speakers and their topics can be found at www.locate.im/gradfair.

Immerse yourself in the wall to wall practical advice on how to stand out in interviews (for the right reasons, not for showing up in a ball gown), personal branding titbits, and employability skills. Whilst you might think being able to burp the alphabet is a skill, it might not be one to showcase at interview or on your CV!

Hear from those who have walked in your shoes and who are doing great things, be it mastering the work-life balance, growing communities, or keen to share the highs, lows and pitfalls to consider. A speaker zone schedule full of like-minded people who have already walked the walk!

Even if you think you’ve got everything planned out in front of you, heading to the Graduate & Young Professional Fair is still a great option, so you can take a look at all the other doors that could open for you, many that you may not have considered. Either way, the event is aims to help young professionals find a career path that’s both relevant and rewarding.

You’ll come away with inspiration, career tips, potential job opportunities, enough freebies to start your own business with (and zero dizziness) – all for FREE! The same of which can’t be said for the infamous TT Fair!

To find out more, sign up and find your future career match, head over to www.locate.im/gradfair