Photo Scarlett Patton.

After two years of virtual fairs, the Career Center hosted the Fall 2022 Internship & Job Career Fair in the Sumers Recreation Center. According to Casey Jenkerson, Interim Associate Director for Employer Relations at the Career Center, the latest fair was bigger than ever, drawing in a large and diverse crowd of both students and companies.

“[22%] of the [116] registrants are new employers to the career fair this year and include companies such as Atomic Object, BASF Corporation, Electric Power Systems, Humana, Huron Consulting, and UnitedHealth Group,” Jenkerson said. “We had record-breaking numbers of over 2,200 students in attendance at the fair.”

Aside from bringing in new businesses, the Career Center made use of Handshake, which differentiated the Fall 2022 Career Fair from those of the past. Information about companies, the employees who would be present at the fair, and the times for events, such as company and graduate program presentations, were posted on Handshake in advance. Many students felt that this decision helped them prepare for the fair and gauge what businesses and positions interested them.

“A couple of companies emailed [me] through [Handshake prior to the fair], and I would talk to them, as I had that immediate connection,” junior Reece Nicholson said.

First-year master’s student Dominic Fulginiti also praised Handshake as a new avenue to search for jobs.

“[Handshake] gives me another range of options for places to look for, in addition to LinkedIn and other websites. It’s user-friendly and easy to navigate,” Fulginiti said.

Students were not the only ones who benefited from Handshake. Companies used the service to connect with students at the career fair and personalize their hiring processes.

“[With Handshake], we’ve added different ways to keep track of the people who come in and see us,” a representative for Total Access Urgent Care said. “We can tailor their experiences for them to see what their training process can look like.”

A recurring message from companies at the fair was the importance of diversity, not only in terms of demographics, but also in terms of skill sets. Many companies stressed the interdisciplinary nature of their work and encouraged students of all majors to apply for their jobs.

“We are open to people from all sorts of different backgrounds and minds of thoughts,” a representative of the U.S. Marine Corps said.

More Career Center events and employment opportunities can be found on the Handshake website.