Epic turnout during the 2024 Epic Job Expo

Did anyone say Epic Job Expo?

The largest graduate recruitment fair in South Africa, hosted by the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Careers Service, was back with a bang on Wednesday, 7 August, in the Sports Centre on upper campus. This time, the event drew 90 prospective employers armed and ready to recruit top talent from Africa’s top university.

And UCT students showed up in their droves to leverage the opportunity. With approximately 4 000 opportunities on offer, including bursaries, internships, graduate programmes, and full-time jobs, how could they not? The expo catered to the employment needs of all faculties and joined a diverse range of employers and job-seeking students and graduates under one roof.

“We are thrilled to bring together students and industry partners in a vibrant, socio-cultural education setting. With nearly 100 companies participating in the Epic Job Expo, we are excited to offer a diverse array of local and international opportunities to UCT students across all levels,” said Naziema Jappie, the interim director of Careers Service, located in the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED).

The one-day-only event, which kicked off at 09:00 and concluded at 16:00, included a curriculum vitae (CV) lab where students could drop in and get advice on how to structure their CVs; a jobs wall, which included a list of jobs from exhibitors, as well as other employers who could not make the event; and a chill zone, where students could take a break if the expo got too epic.

World-class event

David Buckham, the chief executive officer of Monocle Solutions – a management consulting firm that specialises in banking and insurance, and the event’s platinum sponsor – said the firm was delighted to be part of a world-class event, which showcased just how many opportunities across various fields are available to young South Africans. Buckham said Monocle strives for excellence in all its business endeavours and can only achieve this by employing exceptional people.

“We look for individuals who possess a special kind of drive, intelligence, empathy and passion for learning. We believe that UCT students embody these qualities,” Buckham said.

S’phesihle Mbambo, a graduate and youth recruitment consultant at Shoprite, agreed.

Mbambo said Shoprite has been a returning vendor for the past few years and enjoys being part of the event and engaging with UCT students. This year, she said, the team was overwhelmed by the number of students who visited their stand within the first hour of the expo. She said students’ enthusiasm, their well-prepared questions, innovative thinking, curiosity and energy really stood out.

“Students are curious. They know what they want and they’re asking the right questions. They are excited to be here, and we can easily feed from that,” she said.

An opportunity to engage

For the hundreds of students in attendance, the event was more than just some time away from class and the books. It served as an opportunity to connect and network with potential employers and get a sense of what they look for in an ideal employee.

Sibonelelo Dlamini, a third-year computer science and mathematics student, who attended the expo for the first time last year, said he was excited to be back again and brought a group of friends with him. He described the event as “top class” because it provides students with the platform to engage with employers one-on-one and receive information that’s not necessarily available on their websites.

“I appreciate this platform because it gives us the exposure and an opportunity to talk to people, to ask our questions and get answers about the things we’re curious and unsure about. It’s also a good time to understand different businesses’ preferences because at the end of the day, it’s not just about the fact that I have the degree, certain companies have other preferences as well,” he said.

Likewise, Lupumlo Ndzele, a third-year electrical engineering student, who only heard about the expo by chance that morning, said he enjoyed visiting the different stands to wrap his head around their offering. And the expo comes at the right time – as he starts thinking about job opportunities, which he will be eligible for once he graduates.

“I’m here to see what it’s all about and to network. I hear there are internships on offer, and it would be great to get a foot in the door like that,” he said.

Other Epic Job Expo sponsors include McKinsey & Company (gold), the Auditor General of South Africa (silver), Rain Chartered Accountants (CV lab) and Procter & Gamble (chill zone).