Over the past decade, there has been a healthy rise in the number of business schools offering competitive courses that are on par with global standards; churning out fresh batches of graduates ready to take on the job market. But because the culture of internships and job-shadowing is yet to become fully established in the country, many fresh graduates are cast adrift into the competitive job market without the necessary skill sets or the experience to make their first big break—the all important ‘foot in the door’. With that in mind, Global College International (GCI) organised the GCI Career Fair last week, to provide its graduating MBA class with the opportunity to interact with Human Resource representatives of Kathmandu’s corporate houses, and to bridge the gap between job seekers and providers. 

The fair saw professionals from 16 different companies head hunting the graduates from the business school. With representatives of some leading companies including the Nabil Bank, Mercantile Exchange, Antarprerana, Biruwa Advisors, Citizen Bank, Daayitwa Foundation, Dish Media Network, Hotel Radisson, Panchakanya Group, Sita Airlines and Unilever, the event divided students into two panels with concentrations on Marketing and HR, and Finance respectively. 

Archana KC, one of the MBA students at the event said, “I had heard universities in India have great placement cells but a business school in Nepal offering us this platform is definitely a boost for our future careers.” According to KC, her studies have been unique because there has been a concerted focus on HR and now the fair has helped her become more prepared for a job hunt. “It was nerve-racking at first because we were being questioned by some top professionals, but it was a necessary experience and I feel much more confident about marketing myself to prospective employers.” 

According to Dr Subarna Lal Bajracharya, the academic director at GCI, the fair was part the guidelines set by Bangkok-based Shinawatra University—to which GCI is affiliated with—but believes that it was helpful in providing the corporate sector an access to a pool of fresh business-school graduates. “Events like these are important because they serve not just as a wonderful networking opportunity for students and businesses alike, but they also serve as indicators to if we as educators are providing students with the proper skill sets and if they can translate them in the real world.”

That transition is easier said than done, according to head hunter Mandeep Karn, a business associate at Biruwa Ventures. “Having interviewed many students today, we found quite a few who were disconnected from real-life practices and lacking a clear vision for their careers,” he said, “But that is why events like these important. They not only help ready students for the job search, but also keep employers in touch with the best and the brightest graduates being produced in the country.” He also expressed hope that more business schools would come up with similar initiatives in the future and that career fairs become mainstays of the educational process.