However, being able to again offer in-person career fairs<\/a> is a milestone that many students and employers eagerly awaited. The traditional events, along with the virtual and online resources, are critical tools in UConn\u2019s efforts to foster students\u2019 career development from their freshmen year through graduation.<\/p>\n The Center for Career Development<\/a> is hosting its new in-person career fair on Tuesday, Sept. 21, in Gampel Pavilion, followed with a complementary virtual fair on Sept. 28. More than 200 employers will participate in the events, representing all industries and hiring all majors for jobs and internships. Students from all campuses are being encouraged to attend both fairs; alumni are welcome as well.<\/p>\n The Center for Career Development collects data each year about graduate outcomes under national standards set by the National Association of Colleges and Employers<\/a> (NACE). UConn has been participating in the survey since the 2015-16 academic year.<\/p>\n For the Class of 2020, the most recent full year for which data is available, about 85% accomplished what they set out to do<\/a> \u2013 despite the pandemic\u2019s challenges — within the six months of their graduation, be it launching their career, enrolling in graduate school, or taking on other pursuits such as volunteering or military service. Final numbers for the Class of 2021 will be published in November.<\/p>\n Jim Lowe, UConn assistant vice provost and executive director of the Center for Career Development, says trends from survey responses received so far make him optimistic that 90% or more of the Class of 2021 graduates had favorable outcomes.<\/p>\n \u201cGiven all the external factors and challenges impacting post-graduation opportunities over the past 18 months, this is a considerable achievement and brings our student post-graduation success rate back to the levels we experienced pre-pandemic,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n In a normal year, the career center hosts career fairs throughout UConn\u2019s campuses, along with fairs focused on specific industries or employers and career development events throughout the year. UConn\u2019s last in-person career fair at Storrs took place in September 2019.<\/p>\n Its big annual Spring Career Fair had been planned for March 2020, but the University had to quickly pivot when the campuses were closed one week ahead of the fair and students were sent home to complete the semester remotely.<\/p>\n That didn\u2019t erase the need, though; students still sought internships and jobs, and companies still looked to UConn to help them recruit talented new employees. If anything, the pandemic made it even more critical for UConn to work as a go-between to connect students and employers, who had few ways to find each other, Lowe says.<\/p>\n \u201cWe knew we had to up our game in many ways, including launching an extensive social media marketing campaign and further building out our online support and resources,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you think of a student who has never engaged with a potential employer virtually and suddenly that is their only option, they\u2019re not going to know how to make those connections independently,\u201d Lowe says, adding it also complicated recruiters\u2019 efforts to meet and interview potential new employees.<\/p>\n Rather than cancel the March 2020 career fair due to the pandemic, UConn became one of the first in the nation to transition it to a fully online event to link students and potential employers. It was hailed as a model for other institutions, with Lowe and his staff invited to share the process and strategy on panels with national and international audiences.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/2021-Fall-Fairs-Square-300x300.png\")
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