For many employers, recruiting from Ashesi has provided some of the best returns on investment. Across the continent, many organisations have recruited students and alumni to join their teams, from internships to full-time work roles.
And as the university continues to grow, recruitment partners continue to work hand-in-hand with Ashesi’s Career Services Office to identify the right students for their teams, as well as help prepare them for the world of work. For many, Ashesi’s annual career fair provides a great opportunity to do all of this in one place.
Over the years, the Ashesi Career Fair has not only provided a platform for companies to engage with students and alumni on various career development levels, but has also been an opportunity for them to get to know the students beyond their CV. Through speed-interviews, networking sessions, and competitions held during the fair, recruiters are able to get a sense of students’ skills and quickly identify strong candidates for their teams.
Tullow Oil Ghana Limited, for example, has maintained a long-standing relationship with the university since attending their first Ashesi Career Fair 9 years ago.
“As an organization, the fair is an excellent platform for finding the right people at the entry level, and then helping selected candidates gain strength in technical competencies unique to our organisation’s needs,” shared Kwame Ofori Afreh, Resourcing Lead at Tullow. “Over the years, Ashesi students and graduates been able to deliver on more than we expected, and that tells us a lot about the kind of training they have had. We believe in aligning ourselves with institutions that project our values, and Ashesi is one of those.”
For Ecobank Ghana, it is the level of entrepreneurial capacity Ashesi students display that keeps them coming back year after year. “Ashesi students come on board with a lot of creativity,” shared Henry, Manager of the Youth Banking Portfolio. “The typical Ashesi student we have recruited is not just thinking about becoming a passive employee, you see them actively thinking about ways to add value to their teams and projects. For us, it is important that we harness the career fair platform to interact with students as a way to identify future ambassadors for Ecobank.”
“We believe that no one understands the world of work better than the people in it,” said Akua Ampah ’13, Career Services Advisor at Ashesi. “That’s why we actively seek these opportunities to work with them to help prepare students. The career fair is one of the best ways to start both parties on that journey.”