The career fair is going to look very different this year compared to past years since it will be held online instead of in-person. The Career Center has worked hard to make sure that the event can still be held this year, despite COVID-19, to help students connect with potential employers, share their resumes and assist them in finding jobs after graduation.
This year, there will be four separate industry-specific fairs held, as opposed to one large career fair. Students are able to register for multiple fairs if they are interested in more than one industry or career field.
“Students are encouraged to attend more than one fair, as employers are often looking for students of all majors,” says Deirdre Bennett, an employer engagement manager at the Career Center.
The St. Robert Bellarmine Pre-Law Society is also hosting a virtual law school fair. Admissions representatives from law schools will talk with students about their programs, the admissions application process and tips for their law school applications.
The virtual career fairs will be hosted on Brazen, which is a simple and easy-to-use online platform designed for students to learn about and connect with employers they are interested in. Students must register to attend any of the fairs. Once students are registered, they can log on to Brazen prior to the fair and explore the online lobby, where all of the employers attending the fair will be listed.
When the fair is live, students will log on and be able to visit employer booths to talk with representatives. Representatives will be available at these booths to speak with students. These interactions between students and employer representatives are occurring online, so they will be in the form of a live chat or video.
Since the career fair will be happening in a much different format than most students are used to, many might be concerned with how they should prepare for these online fairs. The first thing that students must do is register for the fairs so that they can access them, as well as the list of employers who will be attending the fairs. Students should also update their resumes and have them ready in a virtual format to upload to the Brazen platform. Career counselors for each school are available to help students update their resumes, and students are strongly encouraged to use these resources. Researching the companies that students are interested in is also a good idea when preparing for the fairs. Based on this research, students can come up with questions beforehand that they may want to ask the representatives. Elevator pitches are another good thing to prepare, especially because students will have to introduce themselves quickly in this online format. Even though the fairs are online, students should still dress professionally, at least on the top half. Students should also set themselves up in a quiet environment so that they can speak with employers comfortably and professionally.
The Career Center notes that participation in these virtual fairs is very important.
“Participate with a positive attitude and make every effort to participate. The event platform accounts for every student that signs up, whether they participate or not. Plus, you don’t want to miss this opportunity to connect directly with employers,” says Bennett.
The dates and times of each of the industry-specific fairs as well as the law school fair are listed below. Students can register for any of the industry specific fairs by visiting this link: https://fairfield.campuslabs.com/engage/news/194770.
Accounting, Business, Consulting, Administration, and Finance: Wednesday, Sept. 23 from 1 – 4 p.m.
Communication, Arts & Media, Government, Education, Social Service, and Nonprofits: Wednesday, Oct. 7 from 1 – 4 p.m.
Science, Technology, and Engineering: Wednesday, Oct. 14 from 1 – 4 p.m.
Healthcare and Nursing: Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 4 – 7 p.m.
Virtual Law School Fair: Thursday, Oct. 22 from 12:30 p.m.- 2:30 p.m.
For a quick video about how Brazen works, visit this link: https://support.brazenconnect.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005968567-How-chat-events-work.
Contacts for Law school fair:
Aaron Q. Weinstein, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Politics
Director, Pre-Law Advising Program
Susanne M. Quinlivan M.S.Ed., MBTI
Associate Director, Career Center and the Pre-Law Advising Program
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