Prospective job seekers, students included, are seen filling in their credentials during the Job and Career fair organised by NJC, under the sponsorship of the department of Technical Education, at Don Bosco AIDA complex in Dimapur.
Imkong Walling
Dimapur | May 16
People seem to have this idea that job fair is an avenue where one will automatically get a job once a resume is put up at the desk. It does not work that way though. It is an avenue, through which prospective job seekers can zero in on a career, based on the degree acquired or the skill one possesses. More importantly, it can act as a morale booster, while assisting young graduates and also those in the process of acquiring a degree in narrowing down the list of job options in mind.
In other words, it is similar to going through the classified ads in the newspapers with the added advantage of professionals assisting as career guides, free of cost.
For a person fresh out of college, stepping out into the harsh terrain called job-hunting can be rather daunting. During this transitional phase, job fairs can become good hunting ground, opening up a plethora of career options. In some cases, it can act as a launch pad for building a career.
It was what the people behind Nagaland Job Consultants (NJC) – a recruitment consultant firm initiated by YouthNet, and Smarter Nagaland had in mind when they launched a two-day Job and Career Fair at Don Bosco AIDA complex in Dimapur on May 15.
The Department of Technical Education sponsored the event. The target audience were students and youths with degrees but unemployed.
“Many young people in Nagaland decide their career only after college and are very confused. This (the job fair) is an opportunity for them to see what options they have or what options the job sector has to offer,” said Lezo Putsure, YouthNet Strategist on the idea behind the career fair. The objective, in the words of Putsure, was to bring job seekers, students, companies and organisations under one roof with everybody benefiting. Students were also invited to give them exposure so as to enable then to start planning their career path.
With Nagaland only catching up on the concept, Putsure made it clear that turning up at such an event does not mean an automatic job offer. “But it doesn’t mean that they’re guaranteed a job, (rather) they get access to interviews and networking and importantly build confidence for the next interview.”
According to Putsure, thirty business firms (national as well as state-based) from the automobile, hospitality, banking, health and service sectors set up assistance booths at the fair. By noon on the second and final day, around 850 walk-ins or applicants were recorded at the registration booth.
A break-up of the total number of applicants registered, indicated that the highest number of walk-ins were between 18-25 years of age. The educational background of the students ranged from class 8 to holders of masters degree in business management with college graduates making up 38 percent of the total number of applicants registered. Interestingly, a good 35 percent of the applicants were those pursuing college degrees and below. Those with post-graduate degree made up 12 percent of the total walk-ins.
It also received good response from technical students; this class of applicants making up 17 percent of the total registered. According to Putsure, an encouraging number of applicants came from the Nagaland Tool Room, a technical training wing of the department of Industries & Commerce, and Polytechnic students.
Without undermining the importance of the other sectors, Putsure divulged that the automobile industry got the most interest from the applicants.
Another important aspect of the fair was to encourage absorption in the private sector in a State where job openings in the government sector has become almost non-existent; and where a job in the private sector is considered more as a part-time endeavour with no long-term security, particularly by the elderly folks.
Putsure further said they want to make it a yearly feature which will be called ‘NJC Job and career Fair’.
