UMW Career Fairs Showcase Undergraduate Talent for Employers

More than 400 students attended a pair of career fairs hosted by the University of Mary Washington throughout the past couple of weeks.

The Career and Internship Fair, hosted by the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) at the end of September, and the Business Career Pathways event, hosted by the College of Business (COB) last week, paired up-and-coming talent with area business owners looking for it. Both events showcased an array of industry representatives and employment opportunities, allowed employers to engage with college-degree-seeking candidates and offered chances for networking and résumé-sharing.

“I was so impressed by the number, caliber and diversity of the students who participated,” Banduri Chief Executive Officer Christine Goodwin said of the COB Business Career Pathways event, where she met students with potential to help boost her business. “I also loved that the composition of students was a great mix of technical and business disciplines.”

Part of Life After Mary Washington Week – which also included speed résumé reviews and professional headshot sessions – the biannual CCPD Career and Internship Fair drew more than 300 students from UMW, as well as Rappahannock and Germanna community colleges. The event, held in the Cedric Rucker University Center’s Chandler Ballroom, provided match-up opportunities between attendees and 45 Fredericksburg entities looking to hire, including SimVentions, Enterprise Mobility and the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division.

A student talks to prospective employers during the UMW Center for Career and Professional Development career fair, held in the Cedric Rucker University Center’s Chandler Ballroom. Photo by Jordan Beaupre.

The semiannual Career and Internship Fair hosted by UMW’s Center for Career and Professional Development, drew more than 300 job-seekers and an assortment of area employers looking to hire them. Photo by Kaira Otero.

A student talks to a prospective employer at the recent Career and Internship Fair, hosted by UMW’s Center for Career and Professional Development. Photo by Kaira Otero.

A student talks to a prospective employer at the recent Career and Internship Fair, hosted by UMW’s Center for Career and Professional Development. Photo by Jordan Beaupre.

Students talk to a prospective employer at the recent Career and Internship Fair, hosted by UMW’s Center for Career and Professional Development. Photo by Jordan Beaupre.

Meanwhile, nearly 100 students attended the Business Career Pathways event, including those majoring in accounting, business administration, computer science, cybersecurity, economics, international business, management and entrepreneurship, marketing and math.

“This was a fantastic event, and the turnout was great,” said SimVentions Chief Operating Officer Megan Shepherd ’94, who spoke with job seekers in Woodard Hall’s Red Room. “The mix of … students was perfect, and we are looking to follow up with a number of them.”

To learn more about employer opportunities, contact the Center for Career and Professional Development at 540-654-5646 or ccpd@umw.edu.

The recent Business Career Pathways event, held in Woodard Hall’s Red Room, drew a mix of students from technical and business disciplines. Photo by Killian Petty.

Students speak with a potential employer at the recent Business Career Pathways event hosted by UMW’s College of Business. Photo by Killian Petty.

Nearly 100 students attended the Business Career Pathways event hosted by UMW’s College of Business. Photo by Killian Petty.

A variety of employers met with student job-seekers at the recent Business Career Pathways event hosted by UMW’s College of Business. Photo by Killian Petty.