Just three weeks into the fall semester, more than 300 School of Business and Veteran students swapped their summer attire for business professional suits and kicked their job search into full gear at the Fall 2015 School of Business & Veteran Career Expo on September 18, 2015.

When planning the Expo, we realized that students would not expect to focus on their job search so early in the semester, but employers’ recruitment cycles start earlier every year. In order to provide them with the best advantage, we challenged students to renew their search for full time and internship positions early in the game. We were thrilled to see that the students took up the challenge and owned the day!

The Expo is the Undergraduate Career Development Office (UCDO) signature event and it combines the best aspects of a career fair with a smaller more intimate networking event.

For this year, as part of the student registration, students were advised to assess and identify three of their top skills. Based on student responses, our team then developed three Pre-Expo panels which focused on the top 15 skill areas. Representatives from UTC, Aetna, People’s Bank, Altria, Virtus, Target, Prudential, Synchrony and Cigna participated in the panel sessions and shared their personal knowledge on how those skills are sought after and valued in their industries.

By focusing on skills rather than majors, the UCDO was able to provide students with detailed research on the skills that each company was seeking in qualified candidates. This approach allowed students to build their confidence before the Expo and to connect their individual strengths to an employer’s needs.

Ben Scheller, a senior finance major with a Certificate in Real Estate said the Expo was awesome and that it allowed entry level grads like himself to connect with large employers who offer rotational programs.  See more of what Ben had to say in this video:

More than 280 business students took the next important step and attended the university-wide Career Fair on September 29th to follow up on their conversations at the Expo. While career events are just one small part of the entire job search process, they can be a successful part, and building relationships through these events is key to our students’ success.

Kathy Hendrickson
Assistant Director, Undergraduate Career Development Office, UConn School of Business
Kathy Hendrickson is the assistant director for the Undergraduate Career Development Office with over 27 years of experience in business. Her background in both business and higher education forms the platform from which Kathy helps support UConn School of Business students in their career development from the moment they arrive as freshman to their graduation and beyond. Kathy most enjoys the moments of laughter and beauty that come from time spent with her family and friends. View posts