Think that speed-dating is only for those who want to find their perfect romantic match? Think again. The Bermuda International Business Association (BIBA) applies the speed-dating concept to their annual "Meet Your Career" fair for college students looking to find their ideal career path.

Taking place tonight at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., college students will have the opportunity to conduct one-on-one meetings with top professionals from a wide variety of industries in Bermuda.

Just like the traditional love match speed-dating, BIBA's round-robin format is advantageous for both the interviewee and interviewer in that it is time-efficient, it provides a comfortable atmosphere for students to chat briefly about themselves and their career goals and its inherent structured interaction eliminates the pressure of students having to network on their own, which can be intimidating.

Communications Coordinator for BIBA, Shawnta Simmons, believes their speed-dating concept works: "With our speed-networking concept students actually get to meet the top professionals in each one of the industries at the fair one-on-one instead of going to a booth and getting information from a representative at a large career fair. The students will actually get to speak with the CEO or the vice president of Marketing of some of Bermuda's most well known companies. This format allows the students to express themselves as well as express their questions and concerns about the profession they are interested in," she said.

Ten interviewers from a diverse mix of industries, including accounting, health care, advertising, IT, telecommunications, hospitality, law, banking, insurance and government, will meet with individual students for three minutes each. And, similar to classic speed-dating, a bell will sound to alert participants when it is time to move on to the next interview session.

This is the second year that BIBA has conducted the career fair in this particular format and the concept has received raving reviews from both the students and the employers.

"Last year was our first year with this concept and it was a success. It's a very unique way for students to meet professionals in top positions across a variety of industries that they wouldn't normally get to meet at a traditional college fair that has booth-type setting," said Simmons.

If students would like more information about any particular industry they meet with, they can head to the Exhibition Room at the fair where industry representatives will be available, including the Bermuda Hospitals Board, Bermuda Hotel Association, Bermuda Foundation for Insurance Studies, Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bermuda.

Students will also have the opportunity to participate in two human resources (HR) seminars that will dispense career advice from leading HR professionals on resume writing, interviewing and selecting a career that best fits with a student's personality.

The "Sell Yourself in 200 Words or Less" seminar will focus on writing techniques where students will learn about what top companies look for in resumes and how they can best showcase themselves. The second seminar "First Impressions...Lasting Results" will provide attendees with basic interviewing tips and the inside scoop on what potential employers want to see and hear from candidates during interviews.

Participating companies include Northrock, KPMG, Bank of Bermuda, Butterfield Bank, the Argus Group, BF&M, Appleby, Trott & Duncan Bermuda Barristers & Attorneys, BELCO, Aardvark Communications, Cellular One and Gregg's Steakhouse among many others.

The Public Safety and Housing Minister David Burch, Environment, Telecommunications and E-commerce Minister Terry Lister and Opposition Leader Kim Swan will also be in attendance.

While time to sign up for the "Meet Your Career" fair is quickly running out, interested students who wish to participate can go over early to the Fairmont Hamilton Princess and register onsite.