Thousands of university students and people considering their career options are expected to visit the Exhibition Hall on Phnom Penh’s Diamond Island this weekend for the 12th annual Career Forum, run by the French Chamber of Commerce (CCFC).
The event is a rare opportunity for university students, thousands of whom graduate every year and find it extremely difficult to find jobs due to an oversupply of job seekers trained in the fields of finance and management—two of the most popular courses for students.
According to the CCFC, more than 15,000 people are expected to attend the forum, and on Friday, workers were applying the finishing touches to some of the stalls. Some even stood out—the Cambodia Airports stand was set up exactly like a check-in desk
at Phnom Penh International Airport.
Total Gas, Canadia Bank, the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone and the Cambridge Child Development Center are among the 52 companies and NGOs who have registered to participate in the forum.
During the course of the forum, those attending will be able to participate in workshops designed to help job seekers tailor their C.V. and hone their interview skills.
One event, called “Successful Careers,” will be given by representatives from Kingdom Brewery, Microsoft and Mercedes-Benz, and will help job seekers identify what employers are looking for in potential job candidates.
Ken White, managing director of the Bongthom job recruitment website, said it would be the third consecutive year his firm would take part in the forum.
Mr. White said the event is one of the most important in his business calendar as it was a rare opportunity to meet job seekers in the market.
“It is going to be absolutely packed,” he said. ‘We are in for a busy couple of days.”
“For us, we consider it an important part of the year—we get a lot out of the Career Forum,” Mr. White added.
