An armed forces stall at the career fair. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

The armed forces no longer bank only on advertisements to tap talent. They are, instead, getting up close and personal with students, explaining to them what a job in uniform entails.

The army, navy and the air force have set up stalls at the three-day Career Fair at Ice Skating Rink to showcase career prospects in the defence forces. The fair ends on Monday.

“The armed forces had earlier put up stalls in various fairs in the city, but this is the first time all three wings are seen together,” said Sanjeev Bolia, CEO, Afairs, organisers of the Career Fair.

The response has been encouraging. “We have had quite a number of inquiries on the options available and the criteria for joining the forces,” said a navy officer at the fair.

“Most people are unaware of the job options in the forces. The interactions helped them gain information about the prospects and the excitement of the job,” he added.

It’s not that only boys were found inquiring about a career in the defence forces. Girls, too, could be seen in the queues in large numbers.

“Earlier, I didn’t have any opportunity to find out what it meant to belong to the armed forces. The fair has enabled me to know what really happens on the job,” said Mohammad Naseem, a postgraduate from Birla School of Management, who is looking forward to a career in the army.

Apart from the defence forces, a number of institutes like the Frankfinn Institute of Air Hostess Training, Indian Institute of Job-Oriented Training and International School of Business and Media have set up stalls at the fair.

“We also have a publication which covers 13 new-age careers — from oncology to movie marketing, fashion designing to transfer pricing,” added Bolia.

This year’s highlight includes an interactive session with career counsellor Pervin Malhotra.