During September, the Office of Post-Graduate Planning and Experiential Education will be hosting two virtual career fairs. These events will be preceded by an in-person meet-and-greet with employers at KSL Oval on Sept. 16 from 2-5 p.m. This will allow students to meet employers outdoors and in-person before the virtual career fairs. The two virtual events consist of an Engineering, Technology and Science Career Fair on Thursday, Sept. 23, and a Business, Arts and Service Career Fair on Friday, Sept. 24. These events will both take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will be open to students of all majors. 

Career fairs provide an excellent opportunity for attendees to search for a number of different employment opportunities and to learn more about different companies and careers that interest them. Whether students are interested in finding an internship, a full-time position at a company or a co-op, career fairs provide an excellent opportunity for students to explore their interests.

Besides these primary reasons to attend, there are many other ways that attending a career fair can be beneficial. Career fairs allow students to communicate directly with company representatives to learn more about their place of work, find out what employers are looking for and ask any questions they may have. Additionally, students could even be offered an interview or be able to give a potential employer their resume. Even in cases where students aren’t offered an interview, connecting with employers can still help with getting a job in the future: networking with people in the fields you are interested in can potentially give you a contact to help find a job at another company. Attending a career fair can also provide the opportunity to practice presenting oneself professionally and get comfortable talking with potential employers about your skills, interests and experiences. 

Should students decide to attend, the Office of Post-Graduate Planning and Experiential Education has some advice on their webpage on how to prepare for the event. This advice includes such things as deciding upon your goals at the event ahead of time, researching the companies that will be at the event that you match the qualifications for and preparing a one-minute long introduction speech in which you state your name, major, position of interest and discuss why you are interested in that particular company or organization. The office also recommends having a resume prepared to send to potential employers, asking appropriate questions about job options and career paths, and following up afterwards with companies that interest you using the business contact information received during the event. This advice can help with getting the most out of these events and turning them into great networking and job finding opportunities.

Anyone who is interested can monitor these events through Handshake to see which businesses have signed up and learn more about them. Registration opened Aug. 16, also through Handshake. Consider taking advantage of these career fairs—they could be invaluable in helping you advance your future job.