On Tuesday, the University of Connecticut Center for Career Development will be hosting its annual fall career fair in-person for the first time since 2019, according to the CCD website.
The fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. inside Gampel Pavilion on the Storrs campus.
Over 200 employees from various industries will be present at the fair. Current students and alumni of any major and field of study are welcome to attend. Students from the regional campuses are also encouraged to participate.
In order to keep up with the university’s health and safety standards, the in-person event will be contactless. That means that employers and students should not shake hands, tables will be spread out and a limited number of students will be allowed at each table. There also will not be any communal coffee stations or dining areas to prevent participants from gathering closely together.
In past years, students have typed their ID number and personal information into public computers using keyboards. This year, they will be asked to scan a QR code and enter their information on their phones and personal devices, according to the CCD.
Since March 2020, the CCD has been hosting virtual career fairs via Handshake, the center’s web-based recruiting system.
Jim Lowe, the CCD’s assistant vice provost and executive director, said that while both students and employers liked the virtual format, many were eager to take part in the in-person fairs again, according to survey results.
“There’s an excitement in the air when you’re at an in-person career fair and students are walking up and down the aisles to explore the options, and when they get to sit down face to face with someone to talk about careers and create that personal contact,” Lowe said.
According to the Center for Career Development, career fairs will shift back to a virtual format if the color-coded COVID gathering guidelines shift from orange to red.
A virtual option for the career fair is also available to all students on Sept. 28. Students can register for both the in-person fair and the virtual fair on Handshake.
Although it is encouraged that students register in advance for the in-person event, walk-ins are welcome to attend as well.
