The search for an opportunity or a first job in Formula 1 is normally a long and tiring road. Motorsport often appears to be a closed shop which has no openings or desire to give newcomers a chance. It can be a very dispiriting struggle.
I’ve spoken in the past about where to look for openings in racing but just imagine if there was a place where a host of racing companies, keen to recruit young people and give them a first opportunity in motorsport, came together under one roof. The Autosport International Show which took place in January brings much of the motorsport world together but it isn’t solely about recruitment. The Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) however have announced a new initiative that could be the most important date on your calendar this year.
The first Motorsport and Automotive Jobs Fair will take place at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit on March 9th 2016 and promises to be the start of something quite special for aspiring motorsport candidates.
The MIA is the world’s leading trade association for the motorsport, performance engineering sector. Established in April 1994, leading personalities in British motorsport joined forces to form their own trade association with the aim of promoting one of the UK’s most successful industries. They have created a number of initiatives, including National Motorsport Week, aimed at bringing together motorsport constructors and suppliers to strengthen the industry as well as creating positive links to educational institutions.
In this latest addition they are bringing together motorsport recruiters from across the industry to create a careers far focussed solely on bring new recruits into the industry. Teams and companies involved are being encouraged to bring along their own recent graduates or apprentice recruits who will be on hand to lend their experiences and knowledge to you the potential future of the industry. Registration and attendance for students is entirely free.
http://www.the-mia.com/First-Motorsport-Automotive-Jobs-Fair-Silverstone-Wing-9-March-972
As many of you will know from attending the Grand Prix there, getting to Silverstone via public transport can be challenging but I highly recommend making the trek from wherever you are to this event for a number of reasons. Having a car is ideal of course but there are bus services to Silverstone village from nearby Northampton and the circuit itself is only a short walk from there.
With this being the first running of the event, and especially with the announcement coming just a few weeks before the proposed date, attendance may be much smaller this year than in years to come. You are likely to get much more direct attention and advice from exhibitors this year as a result and you should be ready to take advantage. Make sure that your CV is up to date and write a generic covering letter to go with it that you can leave with each employer. I would suggest that you even go as far as putting your documents in a small document wallet or something similar so that it will not be discarded quite so easily. The recipient is likely to be much more impressed and ready to take notice if you appear fully prepared.
It will be interesting to see how this event develops, it could become a key feature on the recruitment calendar and so you would be a fool to ignore this opportunity even if you are not yet of an age where you are ready to work full time. Work experience and work placements are always ideal opportunities to get your career started and you should be looking to offer your services in whatever capacity you can.
Good luck.
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