Hello from Career Services! We are so excited to kick off the Fall 2025 Career Fair — and we know that many of you are anxiously awaiting the chance to speak with more than 350 employers. With just a week to go, we have compiled some tips to help you minimize your stress and maximize your opportunities.
Download Handshake and Set Up Your Profile
Don’t wait until you get to the Career Fair — download Handshake ahead of time! You’ll need the app to find the latest information about the companies at the fair.
Companies want to be able to find candidates by searching through Handshake, too! Make sure your profile makes it easy for them to find you.
- First, learn more about building a public Handshake profile.
- Next, optimize your resume. Career Services is happy to help with this — don’t forget to share your resume with us once you have it done.
- Upload your final resume to your Handshake profile and make it public.
Getting to the Career Fair
Fall 2025: The Career Fair is held at the Student Development Complex (SDC) on Tuesday, Sept. 23 from noon–5 p.m.
- Parking enforcement will cease in Lot 27 (Pay Lot) and at the meters when students are released at 2:00 p.m. Students can use this lot and the meters for parking and ride the shuttles to the SDC.
- It is not recommended that you drive to the SDC due to high traffic and parking congestion. If you choose to do so, please follow the directions of the traffic officers.
- Consider walking, carpooling, or taking the continuous shuttle from the MUB to the SDC (running from noon to 6 p.m.).
- Enter through the North entrance of the SDC (UP Health System Portage clinic side).
- The SDC has a full range of accommodations for guests.
What to Wear
Dress for success! Attendees are encouraged to wear business attire.
A campus resource that is available to students is free professional clothing at the Career Closet. For Fall 2025, the Closet will be open the following times in Wads G04W and G17/19W:
- Friday, Sept. 19, noon–6 p.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 20, 1–4 p.m.
Maps
The Career Fair can be crowded. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to find employers and their opportunities. Studying the map before the Career Fair can help you make an efficient trip through the fair itself.
- How to print a map before the fair:
- On Handshake, navigate to the Fall Career Fair Forged by Nucor under Events.
- Under the “Before Career Fair” section, there is a list item to print the map.
- On a desktop, click the link to open a PDF of the map for 8.5×11 double-sided copy.
- In the app, click and hold the link to open the PDF and save a copy of it.
- While printing, format for double-sided printing to have all rooms of the map.
- How to find employer booth locations:
- On Handshake, navigate to the Fall Career Fair Forged by Nucor under Events.
- Under Employers, you can search for companies and see their booth locations.
- Note: booth numbers are not a searchable term in the fair.
- How to use the new navigation colored strips in the Multipurpose Room:
- New this year are color-coded stripes on the ground of the Multipurpose Room.
- Uncertain where you are located? Cross-reference the colored line on the ground to the colored line on the map to help you navigate each aisle.
Company Research
Doing some work ahead of the fair will help save you time later. Here are some pro tips.
- Collections
- If you are trying to find jobs of interest from any of the companies coming to the fair, there are two collections designed to help you.
- Internships From 2025/26 Career Fair Companies: This collection features all internships posted in Handshake by companies who are coming to the Career Fair.
- Jobs From 2025/26 Career Fair Companies: This collection features all full-time jobs posted in Handshake by companies coming to the Career Fair.
- Based on your major, Handshake will show you other collections that match your requirements.
- If you are trying to find jobs of interest from any of the companies coming to the fair, there are two collections designed to help you.
- “Following” a Company
- Once you find a company that you are interested in, you can “Follow” them.
- Following a company will give you notifications whenever they participate in an event on campus.
- You can filter companies coming to the fair using this option too.
Filter and Search
One of the key benefits of using Handshake is the ability to find companies hiring students in your major. To make the most of your time at Career Fair, use the filters available in Handshake to narrow your search. Common filter options include:
- Job Types – Filter by the type of employment the employer is offering, such as full-time jobs, internships, or co-ops.
- School Years – Filter by the school year the employer is targeting (e.g., Senior, Junior, Sophomore, Freshman, Master’s).
- Majors – Filter by the majors employers are interested in. Keep in mind that not every employer selects every major they’re hiring for, so use this as a guide rather than an absolute list.
Finding Employers Attending Career Fair
- On a desktop: Go to the Events tab in the left-hand menu, select Career Fairs at Your School, choose the fair you’re interested in, then click Employers in the top navigation bar to view the list and apply filters.
- In the Handshake app: Tap Events in the bottom navigation bar, select Career Fairs at Your School, choose your fair, then tap Employers in the top navigation bar to view the list and apply filters.
- Here’s Handshake’s support article.
Note: If an employer you’re interested in doesn’t appear in your filtered results, they may still be hiring for that selection but left it blank during registration.
Student Comfort Options
- Quiet Space – A quiet retreat tucked away from the busy Career Fair, this space offers students a calm spot to recharge, breathe, and collect their thoughts before heading back into the event.
- Recharge Zone Located in the Varsity Gym – Need a spot to review companies, plan your next stop, or charge your phone? Stop by the Varsity Gym to visit the Dow Recharge Zone.
- Student Snack Break Station, 2 p.m. – Grab a quick pick-me-up in the Student Information Area! Free snacks will help keep you energized and ready for the fair. Water cups are also available here for easy use with the fountains—stay refreshed while you navigate the fair.
Get Familiar On-Site
- First-Timer Tours: If it’s your first time at an event like this, consider joining a First-Timer Tour. Tours begin every 30 minutes (at :15 and :45). We will start at 12:15 p.m. and the last tour will meet at 4:15 p.m. to give you a bit of time. Meet near the ticketing office!