What is CHARM really?

As most of you know, finding a job after graduation hasn’t always been easy. In 1974, the oil crisis and its effect on the labor market made it even harder for students to find their first job. The Student Union Board decided it was time to do something.

That’s when CHARM was born!

CHARM 1976 - the second fair ever

The first CHARM

CHARM 1976 - the second fair ever

The first CHARM

The first CHARM fair, or rather “Chalmers Arbetsmarknadsdagar”, was held in 1975. Students got to listen to company presentations and meet around 20 companies in booths spread out in Kyrkan. The concept was both new and successful. Nothing similar had been arranged in Sweden before and around 40 students were called for interviews!

Since then, CHARM has grown into a career fair with roughly 150 exhibitors, international as well as national. It has survived both recessions and shortage of premises due to construction work. In 2008, the fair was said to be the largest career fair ever in Scandinavia with 178 exhibitors!

With booths placed in Kyrkan!

One of CHARM’s most cherished and recognizable traditions is the CHARMcatalogue. For generations of Chalmers students, it has been more than just an event guide on the fair floor. It is a trusted directory of companies kept throughout the year when applying for internships, summer jobs, and graduate roles.

The first catalogue was printed in 1981. It was initially produced by the student paper Tofsen, before the CHARM committee’s Catalogue Manager took over the reins. Through the years the CHARMfair has had different themes reflected in the catalogue, everything from circus to jungle. Nowadays the fair and the catalogue follow the CHARMtheme - building bridges between companies and students, and opening doors to the future.

The first CHARMcatalogue!

The catalogue

The first CHARMcatalogue!

For the fair in 1981.

Catalogue 1996 - the first time the CHARMlogo of the bridge appears

Catalogue 2002 - The first time the red color theme appears