At Career Rekry, companies present themselves at their own stands. Speed dating interviews and information presentations are also organised. There is also a professional photographer taking pictures that the students can use in their CV or, for example, their LinkedIn profile.

There are many international students at VAMK and other universities in the region. One of the ideas behind the event is to introduce future international experts to local employers. The work experience gained during the studies helps international students stay in the region even after their graduation. Employing international students in Finland is a good way to respond to the talent shortage.

For local companies, the recruitment day is an excellent way to showcase their own employer brand and to attract potential experts to open jobs. This is especially important for smaller companies that are not so widely known among students.

"During the fall, many companies have expressed a need for such an event. Due to the talent shortage, there is competition for the experts, which causes challenges for recruitment. We wanted to create a low-threshold event that serves the needs of both students and companies," says VAMK's career and recruitment specialist Emilia Mäkitalo, who coordinates the organisation of the event.

Together with Emilia Mäkitalo, VAMK's Talent Coach Francis Oyeyiola and two international students are responsible for organising the event. The students have helped, among other things, with making a brochure and scheduling the event. In addition, they will come on the day of the event to help with the arrangements. Participating in the event organisation gives students valuable experience, networking opportunities with companies, and study credits.

“Being able to get hands-on experience is indeed a great learning and working opportunity for first year students like us. It allows us to understand how an event is planned. It also lets us use our experience regarding the expectations and needs that students have for an event like this. I appreciate VAMK for giving us this valuable opportunity during our studies”, says Khin Phyu Cyn Kyi, first year International Business student at VAMK.

More information and the schedule of the day on VAMK’s website.

The University of Vaasa organises its own Contact fair on the same day, so the day is a great opportunity for all university students in the area to get to know many different companies during the same day.