The career guidance fair commenced at 3:07 PM with a distinguished guest list including Mr. Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar. A welcome dance by Team Natyaparna and lamp lighting by dignitaries marked the beginning. The welcome address by USC Anjali highlighted the event's significance in preserving educational institutions. Following this, Dr. Fr. Varghese K J's presidential address emphasized the broadened opportunities available to students and the importance of future decision-making. He differentiated between aptitude and attitude, stressing the need for knowledge accumulation and practice. Mr. Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, in his chief guest address, expressed his gratitude for the invitation. He spoke about balancing pragmatism with individual aspirations. Drawing from his experience of managing clubs and studying economics and English literature, he emphasized the importance of practical knowledge in giving students a real-world perspective. He encouraged students to be pragmatic and adaptable while pursuing their passions. He advised them to surround themselves with motivating people and stay grounded by remembering their roots.

Seasoned journalist Mr. Edison Thomas recently delivered an inspiring talk on navigating a career in journalism. He dissected the profession into four key areas: the thrill of the chase, the necessary toolkit, the hurdles to overcome, and the roadmap to success. Thomas painted a vivid picture of journalism's appeal, emphasizing the inherent satisfaction of uncovering the truth and the power to advocate for positive change. He didn't shy away from the profession's darker aspects, acknowledging the economic struggles, the prevalence of fake news and biased reporting, and the declining public trust. However, Thomas balanced this by highlighting the internal rewards – the constant growth in knowledge, the chance to become a community expert, and the potential for travel and recognition. To thrive in this field, he emphasized the need for resilience, honed writing skills, fluency in the language, and the discipline to meet deadlines with accuracy. For those aspiring to join this dynamic profession, Thomas offered a clear path. He underscored the importance of education, urging them to contribute to university journals. He advised leveraging social media as a platform and even suggested starting a personal blog. By outlining the profession's realities, its rewards, and the necessary steps to take, Mr. Thomas's talk provided a valuable roadmap for aspiring journalists, guiding them through the ever-evolving world of informing the public

A seasoned leader in policy, governance, and accountability, V R Raman boasts a three-decade career spanning diverse sectors and domains. Champion of a just society, he holds a wealth of experience in health, WASH, nutrition, and disaster resilience. With roles at local to global levels, he has been instrumental in India's flagship missions and landmark programs, contributing to transformative initiatives. Currently affiliated with prestigious institutions, his extensive board and committee service reflects a commitment to societal well-being and health systems globally.

The emcees, Vijay and Pari, began the first Career Talk in BGR Campus while introducing DAKSH. They proceeded to introduce Ms. Shalini Sudhakaran, specifying her background and achievements in the field of  holistic nutrition and yoga. Afterwards, Ms. Sudhakaran approached the stage and immediately made the session more interactive by engaging the audience. She talked about the relation between food and cognitive function as a nutritionist and how people often have counterproductive tendencies towards food. Ms. Sudhakaran conducted an activity in which the audience had to imagine their favourite foods. She pointed out that even the thought of it makes people salivate to drive home the importance of mind in deciding and maintaining healthy food habits. She talked about her training as an MBA graduate, who did not think of yoga as a career option for a long time. She stated that thinking about how nutrition, physical health, and yoga can affect people changed her mind. She also talked of sleep’s necessity in being healthy. Also talking about the science hedonic point in the brain, she pointed out that salt and sugar are foods that the body craves. Towards the end of the session the emcees asked Yogesh sir to felicitate Ms. Sudhakar. Sanya Dawar then gave the vote of thanks following which the session ended.

The talk was an engaging session on legal careers, students absorbed insights into essential skills like research and critical thinking. The speaker explored diverse legal paths and highlighted the shifts from traditional apprenticeships to a modern legal education system. Students actively participated, asking questions, and contributing to the discourse, demonstrating their enthusiasm for the topic. The session provided a valuable opportunity for students to learn about the dynamic aspects of the legal field, fostering a deeper understanding of potential career trajectories and the multifaceted nature of contemporary legal practice.

The speaker highlighted sports as an excellent career choice in India's booming sports industry. They emphasized that a sports career goes beyond just playing the game; it involves honing valuable management skills as well. Drawing from their own experience, the speaker stressed that sports isn't just about physical fitness but also about mental well-being. They presented sports as a lifestyle choice, a path one can actively pursue. The speaker championed a shift in perspective, believing that with discipline and dedication, anything is achievable in life.

Mr. Sindhu Biswal at the beginning of his talk asked if anyone is interested in digital marketing as a career. He went on to speak of his own experiences in growth marketing and hacking, both of which he was not familiar with in the beginning. He revealed that writing on LinkedIn about whatever he observed everyday was one of the major reasons why he was hired, providing the rationale that it creates higher chances of coming on an employer’s page. He recounted one example where he had made a mistake in sending out the push notifications for an event. He revealed that he turned his mistake into a typo campaign, which became viral. He said that people should use moment marketing in Ads and product comms. He noted that freshers often make the mistake of depicting a lot of experiences in their LinkedIn posts forcefully. He suggested posting with audits which tell the recruiter about the process behind the work done. He also suggested that LinkedIn posts should come out regularly every month, projecting the identity and  interests of the sender. 

Mr Varun Shukla is a Senior Vice President at HSBC, India, responsible for driving digital transformation, cost-control, risk management, improving customer experience, and executing target-generating models across different markets. Varun is a passionate advocate for continuous learning and development and is a certified Project Management Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), and has completed certificates in Digital Transformation and Business Analytics, and Digital Media from the Indian School of Business (ISB).

Brigadier Jagadeesh B G, a retired army officer, took a session for 1st year BSc and BA students on Career opportunities in the civil services sector of India through sharing his personal experiences in the army and spotlighting career options related to the Science and Humanities field. He presented various statistics to let the students know about the placement rate and how the office is working to get more employment opportunities for them. By emphasizing on disciplined life and its advantages, BRIG Jagdeesh ended the session. 

S. Venkatesh Prasanna's workshop was a comprehensive exploration of communication, touching upon its various dimensions and emphasising the need for adaptability and continuous improvement. Participants gained valuable insights into the evolution of communication, the significance of active listening, strategic networking, and the commitment to lifelong learning. The event successfully equipped individuals with practical tools to enhance their communication skills in both personal and professional aspects of their lives.

Mr. Kiri Atri shared a number of insights about building a skill set for a UN-ready career which spanned areas like the UN system, rationale behind pursuing a career in the UN, different types of job opportunities at the UN and hierarchies of job categories, entry opportunities, skills and qualifications needed and tips to make your UN application stand out and preparation for UN job interviews. A number of questions asked by the audience members were also answered by the speaker.