Visitors who attended COMPASS Jobs Fair, Birmingham (4 October) had the opportunity to discuss career opportunities with local authorities, recruitment agencies and service providers.
Following the conclusion of another successful event, visitors were quick to reveal their satisfaction with how the day had gone.
One social worker said: “The exhibition was informative, enlightening and interesting and overall a great way to network with potential employers.”
The event provided opportunities for all visitors, including students, Newly Qualified social workers, Team Managers and Mental Health Professionals.
One trainee social worker commented: “The event improved my knowledge of the role of a social worker. It gave me an insight into the day-to-day life of a social worker, and I truly appreciated the advice given by the teams of exhibitors on how to progress as a trainee social worker and how to apply for jobs.”
Another student social worker said: “It was great to meet different people and talk to exhibitors to see the variety of training opportunities out there.”
The event provided a diverse range of seminars topics, including legal skills & confidence sessions, as well as careers sessions on finding a good social work employer and ‘bossing it’ in interviews, as well as a panel discussion on how social workers should engage with the Care Review.
A researcher said: “The quality of seminars was great, and I particularly enjoyed the seminar about the science of love and attachment. It was very authentic and inspiring to listen to.”
Another social worker said it great to explore a variety of subject matters:
“The seminars covered a lot of key topics and the presenters were thoughtful and engaging. The seminar about ‘What do social workers need to know about Honour-Based Violence (HBV) and why?’ was particularly powerful and it was really thought-provoking to hear someone talk with lived experienced of such an important issue.”
One social work student said they found the interview seminars particularly helpful: “The career seminars were really interesting and contemporary. ‘Bossing It’ was a great seminar; the speaker was so charismatic and the advice he gave was really eye opening.”
The event also ensured COVID-19 safety requirements were maintained by social distancing in seminars and exhibition areas.
One social worker said: “The event felt safe. The seminar seats were spaced out well and social distancing was managed throughout the day.”
Exhibitors also expressed that they had a successful day. A Resourcing Advisor said: “Networking has been amazing. This has been a great opportunity to share information with visitors and we have had some good one on one conversations. The COMPASS team are incredibly warm, friendly and helpful.”
A Team Manager commented on the event’s organisation and team: “The COMPASS team were very attentive and ensured we had all we needed – we felt very looked after. It was great to socialise and meet potential employees.”
A Recruitment and Retention lead said the event was a great opportunity to network with candidates: “We were able to spend quality time with potential candidates. Having both adult & children social workers attend with good experience. We have registered over 40 candidates for both areas. The COVID-19 health & safety was also spot on.”
If you would like to attend the next COMPASS Jobs Fair event in London, you can sign up for free here: https://www.compassjobsfair.com/Events/London/Book-Tickets
