DURHAM- With many students looking to expand their resumes and find job and internship opportunities, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) hosts its annual career and internship fair.
The fair took place in the Whittemore Center Arena, on Sept. 26, 2023. This is the first time the Whittemore Center Arena has hosted the event since 2020. In the past few years, the event has typically been held in the Memorial Union Building (MUB) and spanned over a few days.
The fair had over 190 organizations in attendance, all searching for ambitious students to hire. In the days leading up to the fair, students were sent a few tools to help them prepare. They were encouraged to attend, provide a resume and draft a pitch.
Students also had the opportunity to review the organizations in attendance by researching them on Handshake, a job and internship platform accessible to students. On Handshake, students can filter their searches according to major or interest, and learn more about the organizations listed.
Students like Sofia Anestam, a junior at UNH, described how she’s used Handshake to gather information about the fair and the employers that were expected to be there. “I looked on Handshake for the list of companies that were here, ” Anestam said.
“I was looking for internships and I think every single one I went to gave me some information about summer internships, which is really helpful,” added Brenna Weston, a junior at UNH who was also in attendance at the fair.
When asked what employers are looking for when students approach them, Kira Winter from Global Technical Talent, a human resource consulting company based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, shared that “ being super personable and talkative” is very helpful for these first impressions.
Julie Hart from Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company, also known as M&T Bank, shared that it is nice when students walk up to the table and are very clear about their interests. She was joined by Clarie Wilson, who is also from M&T Bank, and added that she appreciates when students are “really open to any opportunities that present themselves.” Both M&T Bank employees find it very important to have confidence, even if you don’t know anything about the company.
While students seem to find this event useful in the search for a job or internship, what do the organizations get out of it, and why do they choose to come to UNH? Gnarly Cabral, a representative from the Community Day Charter Public School, remarked, “ I love coming to UNH because of the different and diverse options that it provides its students between graduate and undergraduate as well… By being here we get the opportunity to meet students of all different educational backgrounds and different experiences that can hopefully entice them to come and join us in the education field.”
If you are looking for a job or internship and missed the fair, be sure to check out Handshake, which offers plenty of job and internship openings and resources.
