By the Office of Public Affairs
AIT resumes face-to-face Career Fair following the COVID-19 Pandemic
October 26, 2022: With the aim to help students develop networks with industry, AIT Career Fair was organized by the AIT Career Center on October 26. Twenty-eight organizations from Thailand and Asia participated in the event which attracted more than 200 students from AIT and other universities.
Inaugurating the event Prof. Shobhakar Dhakal, AIT’s Vice President for Academic Affairs welcomed exhibitors, students, and visitors and thanked them for their participation. He expressed delight in having the event organized in person after two years and indicated confidence that the event would be beneficial for everyone. Stressing that Asia is going through a rapid transformation, he said, “AIT focuses on enhancing capacity, and our students are well-equipped to address the digital, social, energy, and market transformation that is rapidly happening around us. I am confident that our students. their knowledge and skills will be very useful to organizations dealing with these transformations.”
He further added, “AIT has students from over 40 countries pursuing Master’s and Ph.D. and faculty members from 28 countries who have highly specialized knowledge and skills and offer high-quality research, teaching, and outreach activities, all of which are significant for the growth of organizations and companies. AIT focuses on five thematic areas: climate change, smart communities, energy, water security infrastructure, and interconnection of technology, policy, and society and I am sure you will agree that these are very important aspects for the growth of your organization.”
Twenty-eight well-known organizations and companies, 12 first-timers, and 16 recurring partners joined the event. The event bustled with students visiting throughout the day, meeting the recruiters face-to-face, learning about their organization of interest, perusing opportunities, presenting their CVs, and filling out application forms. The event offered fair-goers a range of job placement and internship opportunities, information on long-term career prospects, on-the-job training, research partners, and opportunities for networking with company representatives.
Stating that the AIT Career Fair has been organized bi-annually since 2006 Dr. Kamonkanok Kiatisakchai, Director of AIT’s Office of Student Affairs (OSA) said, “It is an excellent opportunity for students to showcase their skills, and plan their career path, especially those looking for a future job or internship opportunity. It’s also a good platform for companies to meet our highly qualified students seeking opportunities”.
The event was joined for the first time by Bangkok University, Dexon Technology, dtac, Factory Talk Business Services Co. Ltd, FTP Software, Hana Microelectronics Group, Indorama Ventures Global Services Limited, Laxmi Group, Osotspa PCL, Siam Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and WAL Consultant Co., Ltd.
Addwealth 301 Co. Ltd, Bouygues-Thai Ltd, Delta Electronics (Thailand) PCL, EssilorLuxottica, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT ), Modern Dyestuffs & Pigments Co., Ltd, Pandora Production Co. Ltd., PepsiCo, Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES), Siam Yamato Steel Co., Ltd, TEAM Consulting Engineering and Management Co. Ltd, Thai Beverage PCL, The Siam Cement PLC, Tietex Asia, Ltd., Tractebel Engie and United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) had previously participated at the career fair.
Highlighting that UNESCAP is one of the main pillars of the United Nations Secretariat that specializes in bringing economic and social change to the Asia Pacific region, Mr. Laszlo Dosal, Recruitment Officer said, “We are now in the era of digital transformation and are moving forward to transform ESCAP and the region in making them technologically advanced. Our main goal is to secure talents who are interested in making a positive change under the umbrella of the UN and improve this region altogether from a technological standpoint because currently, this is what we are struggling with. It is very encouraging to see how interested, motivated, and qualified the students are.”
Mr. Garin Settachan, Recruitment Supervisor, Thai Beverages expressed interest in providing internship opportunities to students in AIT. He shared, “Our company operates in Thailand, but we also have business in other Asian countries like Vietnam, Myanmar, Singapore, and Malaysia. From AIT, we are looking for students to join our internship programs. We have two internship programs, one for Thai nationals and another for international students. In the past, we have had AIT students working with us, and we are looking forward to getting to know enthusiastic candidates who will be coming on board.”
Sunsun Kasajoo, a student of Master’s in Computer Science shared, “The career fair exceeded my expectations. There were many vacancies and job opportunities available and I even got a chance to give an on-spot interview for a software company. Overall, it was a fulfilling experience and I hope for the best result”.
Akintunde Olayanju, pursuing Master’s of IoT Systems Engineering program expressed interest in exploring career opportunities in Thailand after the completion of his studies. He said, “My experience in Thailand has been very good and I look forward to exploring more opportunities. This career fair has been very beneficial for students like me to know that whatever we learn in our classroom, there’s an opportunity in the world where we can apply our knowledge professionally. I’m glad to see so many companies and organizations here today to recruit interested students seeking opportunities”.
Surya Teja, a Master’s student of ICT, believes this fair was organized at the right time as he was looking for an internship opportunity. He said, “The career fair allowed me to connect with different companies. This opportunity has benefited me greatly as I talked to many firms and had a chance to understand the work culture and requirements for the internship.”
In addition to providing a connection between academia and the companies, the Career Fair also featured a variety of entertaining activities. A raffle draw was organized where participating students had the chance to win incredible prizes such as a smartwatch and a unique career counseling service package. Outside of the AIT Conference Center, vendors had various stalls which included fun games, delicious food, clothes, and accessories.
Ms. Carla Gonzales, Coordinator of AIT Career Center, shared, “We organize the Career Fair every semester. This is one of the most popular and in-demand activities of the AIT Career Center. Hundreds of AIT students have found opportunities in internships and jobs in their interested field through these events in the past. So, we hope we can continue having this event in coming years and include more companies and organizations to benefit our students.”
