A Breath of Fresh Air for the Career Fair

Leeds puts a new spin on professional development, trading the big crowds for smaller, more focused engagements. ââ
A student and recruiter review a rĂ©sumĂ© during Management and Entrepreneurship Night, one of a series of career-related events that took place throughout September. Leeds' pivot away from a major career fair to a series of smaller, more personal events won praise from both students and employers. Below right are additional scenes from events throughout the month.ÌęÌę
The career fair is an event thatâs ripe for innovation.Ìę
There are so many companies that students get overwhelmed. Employers see so many students that itâs difficult to make an impression. Lines at some tables stretch on endlessly, frustrating attendees on both sides.Ìę
Thatâs part of what drove Leedsâ Office of Career Development to champion the idea of career weeks at the start of the fall semester.Ìę
âBecause of the pandemic, a lot of our students had never attended a live career fair, like the major event we typically host each September,â said Amanda Hansen, director of career development at Leeds. âThey told us they would prefer smaller events.âÌę
This fall, Leeds held specific weeks for accounting and finance, as well as a general career week to bring in big companies that recruit heavily toward the start of the academic year. Instead of one major event, mini-fairs, keynotes, panels, networking events and career treks gave students opportunities for more exploration, and candid one-on-one conversations with experts in the field.Ìę
âIt was a great success,â Hansen said. âStudents enjoyed it, and employers definitely appreciated the smaller events, which allowed them to have more in-depth conversations with students.âÌę
Hansen was proud that there were first-year students who attended each event, reinforcing that career exploration doesnât begin at graduation, but at orientation. Still, there were plenty of upperclassmen who attended the events to bolster their networks and give themselves an advantage in searching for jobs and internships.Ìę
Ainslie George (Finâ24) attended a career fair during Finance Week, and said it was great exposure for someone whoâs still figuring out what path her career will take in the industry.Ìę
âI met a few people who graduated just last year, and they talked about how their companies have helped them grow from within as you work your way up and take on new opportunities,â she said. âIâm not sure what I want to do yet, so it was great to hear that they felt supported in their own careers.âÌę
Mila Lusso (Finâ24) helped the career team run the event, as sheâs already secured a summer internship, as a corporate banking analyst with Citibank in New York. She attended multiple events last year that she said were instrumental in landing the position, and credited Leedsâ careers team with helping her prepare for interviews, internships and beyond.Ìę
Supported amid uncertainty
âI was feeling uncertain about the process and next steps, and the career team helped by outlining it for me and guiding me forward,â she said. âAnd they continuously checked up on me and made me feel there was someone I could always turn to for support. So if I had a bad experience, they would help me to pivot.âÌę
Lusso also said the events that the Career Development Office puts onâboth in person and virtualâhelped her start to form the network that led to her internship offer. Ìę
âBecause of the pandemic, a lot of our students had never attended a live career fair. They told us they would prefer smaller events.â
Amanda Hansen, director, Career Development Office
âThe networking events really helped me understand how to approach conversations in a professional manner, what attributes about yourself you should be highlighting when you meet peopleâand most of all, how to communicate in a way in which youâre talking positively about yourself, but also engaging the other person.âÌę
Itâs definitely making an impression with recruiters, who were happy to be on a campus talking to students againâespecially those from Leeds, who are highly regarded.Ìę
âLeeds students do their research,â said Nathan Deines, a recruiter with FirstBank. âWhen they ask questions, theyâre directed. They donât say to me, âWhat does your company do?â Instead, itâs more like, âWhat would you say your largest loan program is?â Theyâre asking questions that will help them make decisions about their careers, which just speaks to how professional and prepared Leeds students are.âÌę
Deines said what excites him about career fairs is the energy and connections heâs able to make. But he said he appreciated the âintimate and focusedâ finance career fair he was working at during Finance Week.Ìę
âIt was great to connect with them on a deeper levelâto appreciate that theyâve done their research and really know us,â he said. âIt makes us feel specialâand helps us remember them.â