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The Academic Advising and Career Development Office invited 127 employers to gather at the Health and Sports Center last week for the Career and Internship Fair.
UNK has been hosting career fairs for more than 15 years, along with hosting two education fairs each year.
“A lot of work goes into planning these kinds of events,” said Emily Beaman, assistant director of Career Development. “Other tasks include outreach to employers, assisting them with registration and payment, outreach to students, advertising, class presentations, creating the student guide and so much more. In addition to this work, we are fortunate to collaborate with so many excellent staff and faculty across campus to promote the event and prepare students to attend.”
Students were able to look for a part-time job, network with potential employers, find an internship and discuss opportunities for full-time careers.
“I attended one career fair when I was an undergraduate here at UNK and secured an internship,” Beaman said. “I wish that I had attended more career fairs throughout my college career. I learned that it wasn’t as scary as I expected. The employers were so friendly and genuine.”
The fair helped students gain career readiness and improve communication with potential employers.
“I am actually a UNK alum,” said Taylor Holcomb, recruiting coordinator at Kidwell, Inc. “I came here and was in this exact same career fair years ago. It can be so daunting and intimidating just getting out there and stepping out of your comfort zone. Talking to different employers helped me a lot to open up my opportunities. Personally, I know it is really hard to go to career fairs sometimes, but it is a great chance to get your name out there.”
Several representatives for employers at the event approached students and assisted them in the process.
“Getting students to recognize our name and our brand as they are looking for a position in the future and answering those questions students might have is a main mission for us,” Holcomb said. “Chatting with students and networking all happen within career fairs, which are very important to us.”
Several graduate schools had representatives willing to talk to students interested in furthering their education.
“I really hope students get the information needed from each booth they choose to attend,” said Dayana Houston, Admissions Counselor for the College of Saint Mary. “I wish I went to more career fairs when I was in college. However, the career fair I went to made a big impact on me. I got to network with different employers and learn more about their company, getting a feel of what I wanted to do in the future.”
While recruiters highlighted job opportunities and industry insights, students navigated the fair with their own goals and expectations in mind.
“For me, it’s really important to learn about the opportunities that there are for my specific major,” said Paxton Robertson, a political science and Spanish student. “It is kind of a relief to know that there are job opportunities for me after I graduate.”
