Taking the first steps in a lifelong career | Trinity’s Career Expo

When you walk into Trinity’s annual Career Expo, you’d be greeted with a sight that is familiar to senior students all over the country – and the world – but dig a little deeper, and you’ll discover a cornucopia of knowledge, experience and information with a breadth and depth that is rarely achievable by one school alone. 

At any careers expo, it’s tempting to make a beeline for the representatives of the university / employer of interest – after all, if you know what you want life to look like after school, why wouldn’t you seek them out? 

Trinity’s Career and Student Pathways Co-ordinator, Ms Susan Draysey says that the event is designed deliberately to challenge students and their families, get them to think outside of the box and make connections that they might not expect. 

“Every year we have between 60 and 70 exhibitors,” she says. “This number is made up of industry representatives and educational institutions. We place the educational institutions – private colleges, universities, TAFE, agencies, those who can provide information on gap years – around the edges of the event. In the middle, at the heart, is where the industry representatives sit.”

The Expo is held in partnership with the Old Trinitarians Union (OTU), with many of these industry representatives coming from the OTU, strengthening the bonds throughout the generations of Trinity students. 

Students are encouraged to head towards these industry representatives, find someone to have a chat with, ask questions and get a feel for a variety of pathways. 

“We always encourage students to ask questions to find out more about specific steps that have been taken in career journeys – no two pathways look the same and hearing first-hand stories is really valuable.” 

Once students have finished having these conversations, they can head to the outskirts of the event to talk to various institutions with more of a purpose, knowing a little more about who they might want to approach for information and which institutions might be able to guide them in the right direction. 

All the while, Housemasters and other staff are present, available to join conversations and add additional information where needed. 

Once students feel they’ve gathered the information they were looking for, they’re encouraged to take some time to continue the conversation. 

“We set up cafe tables and chairs outside so that students can sit with their parents, talk through the information they’ve picked up through the night and, if they’re interested, staff and other representatives can join them for those discussions to talk through more ideas and questions,” Ms Draysey says. 

Like every opportunity at Trinity, there is a deep well of valuable expertise available – it’s entirely up to students to take hold of what’s there and ensure they walk away with the right information to help them take their next steps. 

For more information about Trinity Careers and Student Pathways on InSite, click here.