The University will be hosting the Spring 2022 Career Fair virtually this week. Registration opened on Handshake on Jan. 25 and will remain open throughout the fair. Students have started to prepare for the career fair, especially juniors looking for summer internships and seniors seeking jobs after graduation.

This spring’s virtual career fair will help students gain an understanding of their industries of interest, explore opportunities that stretch their limits, and get to know individuals that hold positions in companies that intrigue them. Career fairs aren’t just about getting jobs – they are also great for career exploration and network expansion.

Employers featured include Deloitte, KPMG, EY, Viacom, Stitch Fix, Adobe, Johnson & Johnson, Tufts Medical Center, Mainstay Engineering Group and nearly one hundred more.

What does a virtual career fair look like? The University has been hosting its career fairs online since the fall of 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though it has not been possible to bring recruiters to campus for the event, students are still able to make connections through Zoom. Within Handshake, each company offers an info session, as well as a five to 10-minute appointment alone with the recruiters to ask questions and get to know each other. This appointment is a significant benefit of a virtual career fair, because students are able to have the recruiters’ full attention without interruption for the full five minutes.

Junior Chris Mark is eager to attend sessions for his majors in Finance and Real Estate. 

“I really look forward to the opportunity to connect with professionals in the industries that I am interested in by asking them questions about what they do,” Mark said. “I also like to ask them specific industry questions in order to express greater interest.” 

Junior Mike Cuocolo has already secured a full-time position for this summer working as a financial analyst at Verisk Analytics. 

“Even though I already have a position lined up, the industry I want to continue working in is very network-based,” Cuocolo said. “I like to expand my network at any chance I get, so I will be making appointments with recruiters to get to know them and their line of work.” 

Cuocolo hopes to follow-up with a LinkedIn connection with these recruiters, which helps create opportunities for subsequent video calls.

Career fairs can be very exciting but also nerve-wracking, especially in one-on-one appointments with recruiters. Preparation is pivotal to having a successful interaction with these recruiters, and Mark has made sure he will make the most of his appointments. 

“I’m preparing by doing some research on the companies going to while also trying to connect with other people from those companies,” he said.

Brian Langa is looking to attend law school directly after he graduates in 2023, but he still values the opportunities the career fair offers. 

“I’m looking forward to the career fair because I want to expand my network and learn about different resources that I can utilize after graduation and in law school,” Langa said.

The University’s Career Center has been sending out newsletters with tips for preparation. Some tips include: don’t book several back-to-back appointments to allow yourself time to prepare and connect with each recruiter, send a thank you note or email to the recruiter afterwards and update your Handshake and LinkedIn profiles beforehand. 

Past virtual career fairs have been beneficial to students, and the University is excited for another. 

“The career fair really helped me when I had questions last year about my industry,” junior Alex Allen said. “I was able to understand the companies in my industry more and ask them questions to understand what a typical day at work will look like.” 

These students have prepared for this event and are excited to see what they can learn from the event this week. Registration information can be found in email inboxes and on the Villanova Career Center website.