On Thursday, March 11, Luther College hosted its annual spring Career Fair. This event was hosted virtually for the first time, creating a new experience for students and recruiters alike. The fair was put together by the Career Center and hosted by Handshake, a recruiting platform for college students across the country.

Students were able to meet one-on-one with recruiters and attend group meetings for more information on internships, full-time jobs, and part-time jobs. Prior to the event, students could use Handshake to see what recruiters they could schedule a meeting with, and they continue to have this ability after the event.

The main goal of the Career Fair is to help students find employment outside of Luther. Though the purpose of the fair is connecting students with potential employers, all students, including those who are not necessarily looking for jobs and internships, benefit from simply attending the event and chatting with employers and recruiters.

Megan Grimm (‘22), a junior accounting major who works at the Career Center, and who also helped to organize the event, also attended as an applicant. Grimm used Handshake to interact with recruiters and share her educational experience and expertise with potential future employers. She explained that the virtual format of the fair created new challenges and opportunities for students.

“Both virtual and in-person events have unique advantages and disadvantages,” Grimm said. “While it can be easier to spontaneously meet with employers in person, it can be scary for some students to walk up to the table and approach recruiters. The scheduled nature of the virtual fair avoids this potentially intimidating aspect. I think the fair was valuable in this aspect.”

There were around 55 recruiters who attended the Career Fair, offering part-time jobs, full-time jobs, and internships. Many of the recruiters were looking for Luther students in particular. Director of the Career Center Sarah Crose helped set up and organize the Spring Career Fair. She explained that a virtual career fair helps students connect with a variety of employers.

“This Career Fair is specifically designed for Luther students,” Crose said. “Employers are specifically coming to connect with Luther students. The employer pool this year included a range of nonprofits and social service organizations, Fortune 500 companies, and schools. There was a huge variety of employers and recruiters.”

Employee Relations Coordinator Joni Rollinger helped set up the virtual Career Fair by connecting with recruiters. She worked through the novel virtual format to help the college adjust to this new Career Fair type. Rollinger believes that students as new to the college experience as underclassmen have a lot to gain by participating in the Career Fair.

“Even as a first-year student, you may want to network now and get to know the company and keep in touch with recruiters,” Rollinger said. “Then when you become ready for an internship, you’re connected to them. You can never start too early.”

Members of the Career Center consider the Career Fair a success. With 55 recruiters attending and many student participants, the Career Fair was as busy virtually as it would be in a normal year. Students who didn’t have the chance to attend the Career Fair can set up an appointment with the Career Center to ask questions about potential career paths and networking opportunities. To do this, students must contact the Career Center at [email protected]. If a student is looking for job opportunities, they can check out Handshake to see which employers within the Luther College network are still hiring.