Paws up moment! After months of engaging with employers and working towards creating an active and accessible virtual event environment, Chapman’s largest recruiting event of the year, the Spring Career Fair, came to life on March 3.  

With over 1,000 unique employer-candidate interactions, the fair was a tremendous success in its mission to connect student and alumni job seekers with professionals, internships, and full-time opportunities.  

Students prepared for the event through prep sessions organized before the big day with Chapman’s career experts. Additionally, personalized recommendations were made based on students’ interests, encouraging them to sign up for one-on-one sessions with unique employers with job and internship opportunities within their target industry. From the sciences, to education, nonprofit to marketing, healthcare to finance and beyond, there was a little something for everyone. 

About 150 professional alumni and recruiting representatives joined the event, ready to hire Chapman talent. The Career Fair’s streamlined session reservation system meant no more lines or waits – a new reality for career fairs. The combination of private one-on-one recruiting discussions and group information sessions presented a flexible environment to forge professional relationships, practice and enhance networking skills and maximize job seekers’ time and effort. After attending the fair, some students have shared their experiences and how they were able to make the best out of the event. 

Students confident about their decision to attend the Career Fair

Ivy Magruder ’22

This experience has definitely prepared me for the virtual work environment that awaits me. I have attended 3 out of the 4 career fairs held during my academic career, I can definitely say that my participation was and is very important. I have gotten way more comfortable over the years speaking to others in leadership positions, collecting my thoughts, and communicating effectively. Because I’m going into marketing, it is no secret that good communication is part of being a good marketer. I need to practice formulating thoughtful and effective messages through the words I speak and the words I write. Getting experience talking to others in this virtual format is a fantastic way to develop the skill and practice – Ivy Magruder ‘22

 

Kelly Ma ’21

I decided to attend the career fair to learn about the opportunities companies were offering! I prepared for the group sessions by going through companies’ websites and social media pages like their LinkedIn. For one-on-one sessions, I looked up the individuals who were offering sessions on LinkedIn before selecting who I wanted to talk to. I also checked out their company profiles. This experience has taught me to always come prepared with more questions than you think you’ll need. This career fair also prepared me for navigating future conversations I will have at other events. Now that I know what to expect, I’ll be better prepared and less nervous! – Kelly Ma ’21

 

Mckenna Bixby ‘21

As a Senior, I’m always on the hunt for job opportunities and searching for ways to network with companies that I am interested in joining. I found the virtual career fair platform really accessible, organized, and personable. It made the intimidation of networking with big companies feel more like a conversation between people with mutual interests. I wasn’t really expecting to feel inspired by my interviews at the career fair, but I feel like I made a meaningful connection with an employer and was able to learn more about a whole new career path that I didn’t know I could enter with just a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. I had several interviews with employers that I am hoping to get a job offer from. – Mckenna Bixby ‘21

 

Natalie Kowell ’19

I decided to attend the Career Fair because a company that I really wanted to work with was there. I made an appointment with them, tailored my resume, and looked at their website for more information. I learned a lot about potential opportunities in meaningful 1-on-1 conversations. This career fair has taught me to be ready with questions about a company of interest as well as to have a good understanding of the job position I am inquiring about. – Natalie Kowell

 

Clarissa Hui ’21

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into a virtual career fair but thanks to Chapman’s Career Team and Handshake for making it so easy and user-friendly. I loved how your 1-1 sessions were quickly displayed on the page, and really appreciated that there was a Chapman Help Desk just in case anything went wrong. Loved the support and the easiness of the entire process, made the entire day that much smoother! The virtual Career Fair was the perfect opportunity to familiarize myself with the virtual interviewing process while being provided the support necessary from my university. – Clarissa Hui

Employers commend Chapman student and alumni talent

1. MatterHackers

“In a virtual world, this was the most efficient and effective way to meet potential intern and early-career applicants I’ve seen. The students were well researched on my company, and their experience was well aligned. This is exactly what I would love to see for the future of this industry.” -Vice President, Strategic Partnerships at MatterHackers 

2. Pacific Life

“The students were well prepared with great questions and were incredibly engaging in their interactions.” – Talent Acquisition Partner at Pacific Life 

3. SAP

“It was great to connect with and help Chapman students. They were all very talented and proactive.” – Senior Developer at SAP 

4. ListReports

“Wow! What a day we had I think over 60 students attend our sessions. Great turn out and now our team has their work cut out for themselves!” – Heidi Westrum, People Experience Partner, People Team with ListReports 

View list of employers that attended the career fair >> 

View jobs and internships with employers that attended the career fair >>