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Fleishman Center hosts first in-person fall job fair since 2019

The Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development held an in-person Fall Internship and Job Fair in late September — the first in-person one since before the pandemic. The Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development held an in-person Fall Internship and Job Fair in late September — the first in-person one since before the pandemic.
The Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development held an in-person Fall Internship and Job Fair in late September — the first in-person one since before the pandemic. Image Credit: Jonathan Cohen.
December 15, 2022

On Sept. 21, 2022, the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development hosted the first fall in-person Job and Internship Fair in the Events Center since 2019.

Historically, the fall Job and Internship fair has been the largest recruiting event of the year. Due to the pandemic and social distancing restrictions, the in-person event could not be held in person in 2020 or 2021. They were instead held virtually in the Handshake virtual fair platform.

Although students and employers indicated that they were eager to return to in-person fairs, the Fleishman Center noted that hosting virtual fairs created significant value for both students and employers. Students with busy schedules could pre-reserve slots to speak with employers, thereby avoiding waiting in lines and ensuring the opportunity to meet with all employers who interested them. Additionally, alumni and employers who are located far from the University or unable to travel found it more convenient to attend a virtual fair.

As a result, the Fleishman Center decided to host two fairs in order to facilitate the maximum number of student and employer connections: an in-person fair on Wednesday, Sept. 21, in the Events Center, and a virtual option on Friday, Sept. 23. A total of 130 for-profit, government and nonprofit organizations met with nearly 1,800 students at the in-person fair, and 57 organizations attended the virtual fair to meet over 200 students. In total, approximately 2,000 students participated in these events that serve all the colleges.

The Fleishman Center received incredibly positive feedback from students and employers through a survey and on-site interviews. Qualitative comments from students indicated that they prefer opportunities to connect with employers in person. Students remarked that the fairs allowed them to grow their professional networks, learn about opportunities in their industry, and gain job and internship search tips from recruiters. During the in-person fair in particular, students browsed the many employer tables and discovered different roles and organizations of which they were previously unaware.

Four job and internship fairs are currently being planned by the Fleishman Career Center for the spring semester. An “all majors” Job and Internship Fair will take place Wednesday, Feb. 8; a STEM Fair on Thursday, Feb. 9; and a virtual Job and Internship Fair on Friday, Feb. 10. Additionally, an On-Campus Student Employment Fair will be held Thursday, Feb. 23 for students seeking on-campus positions. Providing students with opportunities to connect with employers is critical for career success, and the Fleishman Center has been proactive to ensure students have access to as many professional development programs as possible.

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