Record number of exhibitors at this year's Nextstep
Nextstep is a meetingpoint for companies and students.
On Tuesday 25 February, the annual Nextstep career fair was held at Campus Arena at Jönköping University (JU). With 41 exhibitors, interactive workshops and face-to-face conversations, the event was once again an important meeting place for students and companies to discuss job and career opportunities.
Jesper Gunnar and Wilma Qvarnström, project managers for Nextstep, were pleased with this year's fair.
Organized by the JIBS Student Association (JSA) since 1994, the fair offers a unique opportunity for networking, career insights and future collaborations. This year's event was no exception, with the organizers expecting around 2,000 students to visit the fair and engage in conversations about internships, thesis work and full-time employment with potential employers.
“We had a record number of companies participating this year. We also had a good mix of companies on the list of participants. Both real giants like H&M and Ferrero, but also smaller local companies. It felt really fun and exciting,” says Jesper Gunnar, one of the project managers at Nextstep.
Wilma Qvarnström, who is the other project manager for this year's fair, says that the goal of Nextstep was just as the name says, to help students take the next step.
“We want to build a bridge between students and working life. It is so important that they meet relevant companies and get the chance to understand what opportunities are available when they have finished studying,” she says.
Both Jesper and Wilma believe that Nextstep is a good opportunity for companies to market themselves and give students a broader picture of what the labour market both offers and demands.
A bridge between studies and working life
Asia Lucatello and Tanja Tanaka were two of the students who visited the fair.
For many students, Nextstep is the first real chance to meet with recruiters and find out more about their future career opportunities.
Asia Lucatello from Italy and Tanja Tanaka from Germany are both in their first year of the Sustainable Enterprise Development bachelor’s programme at JIBS. They were visiting the fair for the first time.
“It is a very good opportunity for me as a student to make contacts with companies from the “real” world and see what opportunities are available,” says Asia Lucatello.
Asia is interested in finding a summer internship and getting to know more companies in the region.
Fellow student Tanja Tanaka also saw the fair as an opportunity to learn about the companies in the Jönköping area and get a sense of what would be interesting to work with in the future.
“I hope that the fair will give a better picture of what kind of skills companies are actually looking for,” says Tanja Tanaka.
One of the highlights of the day was the popular ‘contact talks’. These one-on-one, short meetings between students and company representatives allow for more personalized discussions, sometimes even leading to job offers.
“The contact sessions are a great way for students and employers to get to know each other on a more personal level. There are many examples where these meetings have led to internships and full-time jobs,” says Jesper Gunnar.
A win-win for companies and students
Sandra Ingvarsson and Lovisa Rendahl from YLAB Larssons bygg were visited by students Stina Rudstam and Hugo Ekman.
For exhibitors, Nextstep is more than just a recruitment event - it's an opportunity to connect with the next generation of employees and showcase their company culture.
Lovisa Rendahl and Sandra Ingvarsson from YLAB Larssons Bygg were at the fair on Tuesday because, among other reasons, they were looking for a new colleague for the finance department. They hoped that many students would come up and talk jobs with them during the day.
“There is a good turnout at the fair and we hope to find the right candidate here today,” says Lovisa Rendahl.
Team Lidl from left Minna Nordqvist, Sofia Tegle, Karl Westdahl, Jakob Hoffsten, Fredrik Holmström.
Minna Nordqvist, who works at Lidl's property office in Gothenburg, revealed that this was the first time Lidl has participated in the fair. She felt that many people came forward and showed interest in the company.
“We hoped to meet as many students as possible and be able to tell them about the different roles we have within the company. For example, many may not know that we have both headquarters and regional offices in Sweden in addition to our stores,” says Minna Nordqvist.
