The Career Center hosts 27 career fairs throughout the course of the academic year that range in industry and career focus, such as finance or engineering. With fall recruiting season underway, the career fair schedule is especially packed for students to secure jobs and internships that will follow the school year.
According to Christian Garcia, associate vice president of career and professional development, the Career Center aims to host career fairs that adapt to the demands of the market and industry changes to best serve the professional pursuits of University students. Garcia said that the breadth of services offered by the Career Center means that no matter the area of study, all students can benefit from the Center’s offerings.
“With 27 fairs, there's something for every single student. Now, a student may not understand, or they may not see the direct link,” Garcia said. “The beauty of a liberal arts education or degree is that you can do anything. It just depends on what you want, what your goals are and if you're open [to different opportunities].”
David Lapinski, director of employer relations and experiential learning, said that the Center begins setting up career fairs and signing up employers and corporate representatives starting March of the previous academic year. According to Lapinski, the Career Center selects dates for fairs depending on the recruiting timelines of various employers. It then collaborates with departments across the University and reaches out to various employers to get them registered for the fairs.
According to Lipinski, the most important thing students should do before attending a career fair or meeting with an employer is to adequately prepare by researching the employers on the Handshake platform — Handshake enables students to look at in-depth information on the employers coming to the University, job opportunities and events hosted by employers.
The Career Center also offers resume and cover letter workshops, the Virginia Alumni Mentoring Network, drop-in hours and appointments with professional staff. The goal of the Center is to assist students in their professional pursuits.
Lipsinski said another important piece of advice is for students to be memorable to employers at career fairs. He shared that being prepared with a small pitch to give to that organization and knowing a little bit about that organization will help the student imprint well upon the representatives.
“Show the organization that you've done a little bit of research on who they are and how you, as a student, differentiate [yourself] and align with that organization,” Lipinski said. “It makes you memorable with that organization.”
Garcia elaborated on this by discussing the importance of being oneself and personable when interacting with employers.
“Be yourself. Don't take it so seriously. They're human beings, just like you are. If you're nervous, just lean into that. I mean, these people are going to really be empathetic about that,” Garcia said. “Don't be afraid to laugh and to just have a good time in that experience.”
According to Lipinski, many of the representatives that employers send to the University to meet with students are alumni of the University. Lipinski also encourages students to take notes on their discussions with employers. This will be important when students follow up with the individuals they spoke with, ideally by sending a personalized email.
The Career Center offers other services to students for those seeking to form professional connections or secure jobs and internships — these include the over 300 annual information sessions hosted by individual companies, such as Google and Capital One, which take place throughout the academic year.
The Virginia Alumni Mentoring Network is another powerful resource that consists of about 5,000 alumni who volunteer their time to connect with students who are interested in the careers in which they work, help them practice interviewing, and give general professional advice.
Third-year Commerce student Aaryan Saxena said that the career fairs hosted by the Career Center helped him learn about employers and different roles he was interested in, but he said that the fairs are not the most effective way to receive a job interview or offer.
“I would say that [the career fairs] helped me gain more exposure to the industries that I was interested in and understand the different kinds of career paths and positions [available],” Saxena said. “I would say the majority of the time … it's not going to materialize into an interview or a job opportunity.”
Saxena stated that the number one piece of advice that he would offer to current undergraduate students would be to begin using the services that the Career Center offers early in their undergraduate career and continue to utilize their services in their pursuit of a career.
“No doubt, finding a job is one of the most difficult processes you will ever [undertake],” Saxena said. “Having someone not only to help you through the hardship but also to support you through the triumphs and the victories. That's what the Career Center does very well. And I would definitely recommend that for any student.”
The Career Center also offers one-on-one appointments with professional staff members who help students with interviewing, resumes, and cover letter writing. These appointments can be booked in Handshake. Drop-in hours are also offered at Clemons Library and at 1515 Monday through Thursday, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The full schedule for Career Center events can be found on Handshake.
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