Unlock your future by exploring opportunities at the career fair

The first few weeks of the fall semester can be hectic. From move-in week to settling into a new home, attending football games, reconnecting with friends from the spring semester and getting back into the swing of classes. The last thing that most students need during this time is more responsibility. However, keeping on-campus networking events from slipping through your fingertips may be helpful — especially if you are an upperclassman.

Employment opportunities, such as internships, are a critical first step in entering the job market and building a career after graduation for young professionals. Internships offer countless opportunities for students. From general networking and interview practice, exploration of different career paths, opportunities to develop job-related skills and most importantly, hands-on experience, internships assist students in stepping into the workforce they are most interested in.

In fact, most employers look for candidates with internship experience in their industry and it is one of the top deciding factors in post-grad employment, according to The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) website.

Additionally, paid internships are more competitive during the hiring process than unpaid or no internship experience. A 2022 study conducted by NACE found that graduating seniors who have completed paid internships receive almost double the amount of job offers compared to students with no internship experience — 1.61 vs. 0.77. Moreover, according to NACE, graduating seniors who used an additional service from their campus career office increased their average job offers by 0.005.

“We project between 10 and fifteen percent of the graduating class will be hired through career fair events. We do think more broadly that with hire a bobcat and other services, that number increases,” Carina Beck, Vice Provost for Allen Yarnell Center for Student Success (AYCSS) said.

Past Events:

• On Monday, Sept. 25, there was a drop-in resume review session. Students were encouraged to bring hard copies of their resumes to the career fair to drop off with potential employers. 
• On Tuesday, Sept. 26, the AYCSS hosted the 17 annual networking etiquette dinner in the SUB. There, students could practice common interview questions and learn professional table etiquette. 
• Another key event that took place last week was the Bobcat Career Closet. The event was held in the SUB ballrooms on Wednesday, Sept. 27 and Thursday, Sept. 28 and offered one free business attire outfit per student. Additionally, students had the opportunity to have a professional headshot taken for their LinkedIn profiles and other professional needs including resume review, salary negotiation and mock interviews. 
• This week, on Tuesday, Oct. 3, there was a sneak peek of the career fair. The objective of the sneak peek was to give students an advantage over their competition who did not attend this event. The sneak peek was an opportunity to tour the space where employers will be set up on the following day and give students a feel for the environment where the career fair will take place. 

Upcoming Events:

• The next resume revision opportunity will be during the Career Fair on Wednesday, Oct. 4 and Thursday, Oct. 5 at the Fieldhouse from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Starting Thursday, Oct. 5 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., employers will conduct on-campus interviews with prospective employees. The second on-campus interview day will be Friday, Oct. 6, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
• The next Bobcat Career Closet will be ahead of the spring Career Fair. If you want a professional headshot, you can do so in the AYCSS. Headshots at the AYCSS are available every Friday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and no appointment needed.
• If you completely miss the career fair, head over to HireABobcat.com to see job listings posted directly by recruiters. 
• Downloading the Career Fair Plus App is another component that will help you prepare for the Career Fair. From there, you can see the entire list of employers attending and their booth locations.  

The Career Fair is the perfect environment to network with industry leaders, obtain an internship, conduct employer research, and practice professional etiquette. Attending these on-campus events is a significant first step in obtaining an internship and a great place to learn as you step into the professional world.

For more information about The Career Fair, visit www.montana.edu/aycss/careers/events/career-fair/career-fair.html.