Sydney career expo puts international students face-to-face with employers

More than 3,000 international students and graduates are expected at Sydney Town Hall next month for one of Australia's largest career events dedicated to international students. International students looking for their next career opportunity will have a rather large room to work a crowd in when the International Student Career Expo (ISCE) 2026 takes over Sydney Town Hall on 8 October. The free event will bring together students and graduates with employers, recruitment teams, government and public sector organisations, professional associations, industry bodies, universities and other organisations involved in employment and career development. Led by the International Students Representative Council of Australia (ISRC) and co-organised by the UNSW Postgraduate Council (PGC) and the Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association (SUPRA), the expo is designed to provide international students with direct access to employers and a better understanding of the pathways into Australia's workforce. The event will run from 11am to 4pm and will include employer and organisation stands, face-to-face career conversations, workshops and information sessions. Students will be able to explore graduate programs, internships, part-time and full-time employment opportunities, as well as broader career pathways in Australia and overseas. The City of Sydney is supporting the event, which will be held at Sydney Town Hall, and is also listed as one of the organisations taking part. The City's participation will give students an opportunity to learn more about its programs and services for international students, including opportunities to become involved in city life beyond the classroom. Connecting students with employers For ISRC President Weihong Liang, the expo is intended to address a very practical issue facing international students: getting access to employers and understanding how the Australian recruitment system works. International students have plenty of opportunities to study in Australia, but moving from a qualification into a career can be considerably more complicated. Students need to understand what employers are looking for, how recruitment processes operate and what employment opportunities are available to them. The expo is designed to put those questions directly in front of employers. Organisers say discussions with employers during the planning of the event have also highlighted uncertainty about international students' work rights. Some employers have assumed that employing an international student or graduate automatically requires visa sponsorship, while others have been unsure about who they can employ. That makes employer education another important part of the event, with workshops and information sessions intended to provide greater clarity around working in Australia and workplace rights. The City of Sydney's event listing says students will also be able to learn about career pathways across different industries, build professional networks and meet employers face-to-face. A broad range of organisations The expo is not restricted to a single industry or type of employer. ISCE says the event will bring together organisations offering graduate programs, internships and early-career opportunities, alongside government and public institutions, university career teams, professional associations, industry groups and organisations supporting international talent. The event's organisers are also promoting it as an opportunity for employers to engage with a large pool of international students and graduates in one location. The current event information indicates that more than 70 organisations are expected to participate, giving students the opportunity to explore career options across a range of industries and sectors. That breadth is important for students who may still be working out exactly where their Australian qualification might take them. Rather than simply providing a collection of recruitment stalls, the organisers are aiming to give students access to information about different industries, professional pathways and the expectations of Australian employers. Students taking the lead The event is also notable because it has been developed and led by international student representative organisations. Ada Choi, President of the UNSW Postgraduate Council and Chair of ISCE 2026, said direct access to employers remained one of the strongest concerns raised by international students. The response has been to bring students and employers together at a scale that would be difficult for a single university to achieve on its own. The involvement of UNSW PGC and SUPRA alongside ISRC also gives the event a cross-institutional character, with students from universities and other education providers across Australia invited to attend. SUPRA President Yiman Wu said the aim extends beyond employment itself, with international students also bringing professional skills, languages and international networks to Australia. The organisers see the expo as a way of strengthening the connection between those capabilities and Australian employers. Expert advice on the program ISCE 2026 is being supported by an expert panel with experience across higher education, employability and industry. The panel includes Dr Wei Li, Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney Business School; Esmond Esguerra, Head of Employability at UNSW; and Shirley Ng, General Manager at the Australian Industry Group. The panel is advising on employer engagement, student employability and connections between international talent and the Australian workforce. For students, the practical attraction is fairly straightforward: instead of trying to work out the Australian employment market from behind a laptop, they can walk into Sydney Town Hall and talk directly to the people doing the hiring. For employers, the event provides an opportunity to meet a large and diverse group of international students and graduates in one place. And for the sector, it provides another reminder that employability is becoming an increasingly important part of the international student experience. With international students competing for graduate roles, internships and other employment opportunities, having a direct connection between students and employers is becoming more important. ISCE 2026 is attempting to provide exactly that connection. International Student Career Expo 2026 Thursday, 8 October 2026 11am–4pm Sydney Town Hall, 483 George Street, Sydney The event is free and open to international students and graduates from universities and other education providers across Australia. Domestic students interested in international and global career opportunities are also welcome. Students can register through the ISCE 2026 website.