Main Swiss events
University career fairs:
- EPFL Forum (Lausanne): 200+ companies, September
- ETHZ Polymesse (Zurich): 150+ companies, November
- HSG Talents (Saint-Gall): finance and consulting, October
- HES-SO Forum: multi-campus Romandy
- UNIGE Uni-Emploi: Geneva, November
- UNIL Forum: Lausanne, February
Sectoral:
- Swiss Medtech Day: Basel/Bern
- Pharmapack Europe: Basel extension
- Swiss HR Salon: autumn, Geneva + Zurich
- jobs.ch Job Day: multi-cities
- TopMinds Banking Day: Zurich, finance
International in Geneva:
- WTO Public Forum: UN agencies
- Geneva Health Forum: health NGOs
- Geneva Trade Days: trading, commerce
Preparation 4 weeks before
- Target list: 15-25 priority participating companies
- In-depth research: business, news, present recruiters' LinkedIn profiles
- Personalised pitch per company (1 min)
- Printed CVs (15-25 copies) on quality paper
- Business cards (50 units, CHF 30-100)
- Attire: business for banking/consulting, smart casual for tech
D-day
Attack strategy:
- Arrive 30 min early: avoid queues, scout the layout
- 5 top-priority companies first (maximum energy)
- 10 second-list companies afterwards
- Strategic lunch break: observe surrounding recruiter profiles
- Selected conferences: 2-3 max, no more
At the booth:
- 30-second pitch: name, role, level, what you're looking for
- Smart question about their company (shows you prepared)
- CV given with contact: handwritten note on CV ("Discussed [specific topic]")
- LinkedIn request: add them directly
- Business card: get theirs
- Follow-up: "What are your next steps? Deadline to apply?"
Post-event follow-up (D+1 to D+7)
D+1:
- Email/LinkedIn to each met recruiter (5-7 lines)
- Reference to precise conversation
- CV attached or linked
- Clear CTA: "Can you direct me to the [title] role?"
D+7:
- Polite follow-up if no response
- LinkedIn tag on a relevant post
Virtual events
Less effective than physical but useful:
- Brella, Hopin, Airmeet: platforms used
- 1-1 speed networking: prepare 3-5 questions per contact
- Thematic rooms: visible active presence (camera ON, intervention)
- LinkedIn follow-up at the end
Professional meet-ups
Alternative to big events, often more qualified:
- Meetup.com: search by city + trade
- Eventbrite: paid or free events
- LinkedIn Events: engagement indicators
- Regional Slack communities (announce IRL)
- Sectoral Discord (tech, design, marketing)
A 30-person meet-up is often worth more than a 5,000-visitor fair: focus, deep exchanges, natural follow-up.
Measuring ROI
Per event, track:
- Recruiters met: target 10-15
- CVs deposited: 8-12 qualified
- Business cards collected: 15-20
- LinkedIn connections: 10-15 new
- Interviews obtained: 2-4 within the following month
A well-exploited event = 3-6 interviews within the following month. Excellent ratio for 1 day of investment.
