The University of Connecticut hosted its final career fair of the 2023-24 academic year on Tuesday, April 2 in Gampel Pavilion. 112 employers tabled the fair in search of undergraduate students seeking internships and/or post-graduation jobs.
The UConn Center for Career Development sponsors multiple career fairs every academic year on both the Storrs and certain regional UConn campuses. Lisa Famularo, the assistant director for equity and inclusion, and Pedro Badillo, a graduate assistant for college career readiness and experiential learning, hope that students come to career fairs to see that there are opportunities for everyone.
They emphasized that career fairs are not catered to a particular kind of student. Famularo touched on the misconception that career fairs are only available to upperclassmen or students of certain majors.
“We want students of any year here, especially first and second-year students. If they can come and start building relationships with employers now, that can help them get jobs and internships in the future,” she said.
Employment opportunities ranged from federal security to the restaurant industry. The employees representing their companies ranged from recent graduates to seasoned professionals.
Kelsie Quick, a fourth-semester psychology major, went to the career fair to find internship opportunities. She said that she was able to speak to all of the companies she hoped to and felt that her visit was successful.
we want to find students who are ready to jump into a field where we are able to provide them with professional development opportunities, they can learn more about applied behavior analysis and we can point students where they need to [look] for their future.
Glorie Vital
Glorie Vital, a talent acquisition specialist for the New England Center for Children, talked about how her company is looking for students interested in working with kids on the autism spectrum. She said that the company does face difficulty with finding people to fill certain roles as the company’s primary focus, applied behavior analysis in children, is such a niche field. The company will use outreach tactics such as emails or Handshake notifications to find students interested in the field and make them aware of this opportunity.
“We want to find students who are ready to jump into a field where we are able to provide them with professional development opportunities, they can learn more about applied behavior analysis and we can point students where they need to [look] for their future,” Vital said.
Ryan Donegan, the business development manager at L&W Supply Corporation, said that his company comes to the UConn career fairs every year. The company offers internships and job opportunities for undergraduate students. It is looking for students who communicate well and are sales-driven.
According to Donegan, L&W Supply Corporation attends the career fairs because of the great turnout. “Great school, great atmosphere, a lot of good candidates,” he said.
Quick noted that doing her research ahead of time greatly helped her navigate what employers she wanted to talk to and learn more about. All information about future career fairs can be found on the UConn Center of Career Development’s website, its profile on Handshake or its Instagram page.
If you missed the career fair, you could still benefit from the resources offered by the Center for Career Development. Their website has tabs that allow students to schedule career coaching appointments and job market insight. It also has lists of internships and job opportunities for different majors. For a more immersive experience, undergraduates can also apply to be student ambassadors via listings on Handshake.