Career Advancement’s Fall Career Fair draws record student and employer participation

The first career fair of the academic year brought record numbers of employers and students together, one of many indicators of a robust fall recruiting season on campus.

More than 1,000 students came to Ida Noyes Hall to learn about possible internships and future careers at the Fall Career and Internship Fair on Thursday, Oct 3. Student attendance was 25 percent higher than last year. More than 250 recruiters, representing 104 firms, met and talked with students during the fair.

“The fall recruiting season is very strong this year, with employers from a wide variety of industries recruiting UChicago students,” said Meredith Daw, assistant vice president and director of the Office of Career Advancement.  

Employer information sessions and on-campus interviews scheduled for this fall are also at record highs this year.

“The Career Fair provided an excellent opportunity for me to meet and network with employers,” said Zach Felsenstein, a third-year student in Public Policy and Geography who attended the fair and met with representatives from multiple fields. “I came away with a great set of leads for internships next summer.”

The long list of employers at the fair ranged from Accenture to Wolverine Training and Teach for America.

“Employers are looking for students from diverse fields of study and academic backgrounds, and are finding that the intellectual rigor of the University of Chicago prepares candidates well for the challenges of the workplace,” Daw said.

Many of the students at the career fair previously attended the Fall Career Fair Boot Camp, where they learned practical tips for preparing resumes and interviewing with prospective employers.

UChicago students have high rates of engagement with Career Advancement programs. Last year 83 percent of first-year students worked with Career Advancement, while 80 percent of their fourth-year classmates had substantive career plans at graduation.

Career Advancement provides career fairs throughout the academic year as well as recruiting camps, workshops and conferences.