JTrade… where the ‘J’ also stands for Job!

Looking for a new job or a change of career? Then JTrade is the place for you. Over the past few events, we’ve seen many job hunters network their way into amazing opportunities. Here, we catch up with two previous attendees, and discover where their JTrade job hunting took them next.

Jacob, 26, Borehamwood. “JTrade changed my career and my life when I was struggling to find work.”

Believe it or not, Jacob only attended JTrade2018 on a whim with his father and uncle, because he was due to meet them in London later for a meal, and wanted to catch a lift. “I wasn’t expecting much, sure, but it turns out I’d come to the perfect place at the perfect time.”

Jacob had lost his marketing job a few months before the 2018 event, due to a company restructure, and was struggling to get interviews. “I was filling in applications, networking online, all that stuff. And yet I wasn’t even getting to the interview stages. And when I did, the jobs were beneath the level I’d been at in my last job. It was getting me down, tell the truth.”

While walking the floor at JTrade, Jacob started talking to a rep for a building firm. “We clicked, and the conversation naturally moved on to how the business needed some marketing muscle. I talked about some of the ideas that occurred to me, and how they might adapt their current approach. As it happened, I made an impression, because we connected online after the show. Turns out the rep was also the company owner. Fast forward three years, and I’m now Head of Marketing for a business that designs bespoke foundations for major engineering projects throughout the UK.”

Does Jacob have any advice for people looking for work?

“First of all, get your visitor ticket to JTrade. It’s free! Don’t worry so much about bringing a pile of CVs, but make sure your online presence is up to date, so you have somewhere you can direct people to connect. And take it easy, chat to people. Be open. It’s a friendly environment, and you never know what opportunity you might find.”

Abigail left university in 2019 and didn’t want a boring career with a faceless multinational: “A week after connecting with people at JTrade, I had my pick of jobs.”

Abigail booked her JTrade2019 ticket during her last week in London. “I’d finished uni, but I wasn’t drawn to the post-grad careers my course mates were signing up for. I wanted to start my career with a growing business, rather than just be an anonymous face in an already established organisation. I heard about JTrade from a friend who was manning the stand for his family business. So I came down, what did I have to lose? I handed out my CVs to people, visited as many stalls as I could, and tried to make a good impression.”

When Abagail returned home, she got several calls and emails over the next few weeks. “People were impressed by my ‘get up and go’ attitude, and that got my foot in the door for interviews, and discussions. In the end, I found myself in a position where I could take my pick from several tempting offers.”

Abagail now work for a specialist equipment supplier. “I’m looking forward to travelling the world once restrictions ease, as we look to embrace the global market.”

Does Abigail have any advice for people looking for work?

“I don’t consider myself a confident person. If you identify with that yourself, then look at it this way: Going out there looking for a job isn’t just about helping yourself. Employers spend a great deal of time, and money, on the recruitment process. So by going out there, you could be doing someone a big favour. Just book your free ticket, and go for it.”

If you’re serious about finding your next career break, then JTrade2021 is for you. If you haven’t already, book your FREE visitor pass Here.