Author: Jim Desrochers

Now, more than ever, a successful university recruiting strategy needs to be intentional. Simply showing up on campus is no longer enough—you need to align your presence with your specific hiring goals, target demographics, and capacity.

At Michigan Tech, we organize a diverse portfolio of events throughout the academic year to maximize your brand exposure and ensure high-quality interactions with our students. To help you build the most effective recruiting calendar, we’ve broken down the primary ways you can connect with Huskies, and how to determine which options are the right match for your business.

We truly appreciate your investment in recruiting at Michigan Tech. Whether you are looking for your next engineering co-op or a full-time business analyst, our goal is to ensure you have the best, most productive experience possible throughout the entire process. A successful campus visit starts long before you set up your booth—it begins the moment you submit your registration details.

Because we want your team to thrive, our Career Services staff personally reviews every single registration that comes through our system. With so many fields to navigate—including class years, job types, work authorization parameters, and specific majors—it is incredibly easy to accidentally skip a field or leave a section blank. If we notice something that seems to be missing or could use a bit more detail, don’t be surprised if our team reaches out to you directly to clarify or update your registration.

This thorough review process is entirely for your benefit. When thousands of Huskies begin researching employers in the weeks leading up to the fair, they don’t just scroll through a massive list alphabetically. Instead, they use advanced filters to narrow down the playing field. Students search for very specific criteria to identify exactly which companies they need to visit, matching their current status and future goals to your open roles.

If your registration parameters aren’t clearly specified, your company might accidentally become invisible to your target audience. For example, if you are looking for sophomore interns but forget to select “Internship” or “Sophomore” in your registration dropdowns, your booth won’t show up when a sophomore filters for summer internships. By keeping your data precise and complete, you ensure that the right students can easily find you.

Think of your career fair registration as your digital storefront. Taking an extra five minutes to meticulously review your job types, target majors, and open positions ensures that the algorithm works for you, not against you. We are excited to host you on campus soon, and we look forward to working together to make this your most successful recruiting season yet!

Virtual career fairs have shifted from a “backup plan” to a powerful, permanent tool in the recruiter’s arsenal. While the preparation might feel lighter than hauling booths and banners across the country, achieving a high ROI requires a shift in strategy. Success in the digital space isn’t about just showing up—it’s about intentional action.

Here are suggestions to help turn virtual sessions into hires.