Notre Dame's annual Fall Career Expo was held Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Joyce Center. The event hosted over 270 companies, with 2,000 students attending.
In a change from past years, the event, organized by the Career Center, only lasted one day. Additionally, the Backstage Pass Program, a chance for first-time fair attendees to arrive at the fair early to see the layout of the event and get tips from some employers, was reinstated.
Preparing for the event is a long process, Career Center director Hilary Flanagan said in an email.
“Basically, as soon as one fair is over, we start planning for the next one,” Flanagan said. “While career fairs are just a small piece of our overall operation, they are extremely time-intensive and visible programs across campus.”
Flanagan said the event is important step for students looking to network with companies, as well as to get information about them.
“We ... hope students will take the opportunity to learn more about the industries and organizations that interest them,” she said.
The Career Center offered several tools for students to prepare before the event, such as listing the companies attending on Go Irish and offering resume reviews. During the event, recruiters who are Notre Dame alumni were given a ribbon to wear, allowing students to recognize recruiters who were also graduates.
Freshman Charlie Maxwell said he thought chances were slim he would gain an internship from the career fair because he had just started his Notre Dame career, but he still saw a benefit in attending.
“It’s still good to shake some hands and just get your name out there so people know who you are and that you’re coming up,” he said. “It’s a good networking opportunity, and a lot of big names are there.”
Jaihee Choi, a sophomore double-majoring in economics and applied and computational mathematics and statistics (ACMS), enjoyed meeting the large number of Notre Dame alumni at the career fair.
"It was really relatable,” she said. “It was really comfortable, so it made me proud to be at this school, to have so many options for alumni.”
The Career Center hosted several other events this week before the Fall Career Expo, such as the Student Organization Reverse Fair, panels with companies and networking events.
Flanagan said students who missed the career fair still have plenty of resources.
“Students should keep in mind that the Fall Career Expo is just one of the many resources for students to use in their career development,” she said. “The Career Center has countless other resources and programs available throughout the year with some of these same and other industries and organizations represented.”
