Category: Recruiting

Suggestions to help your recruiting efforts.

Navigating Pre-Employment Drug Screenings

Securing a conditional job offer for an internship, co-op, or full-time position is an exciting milestone! However, before you can officially cross the finish line and start your first day, many employers will require you to complete a pre-employment drug screening as part of their hiring policy.

To help you seamlessly navigate this step of the onboarding process, the team at Michigan Tech Career Services has broken down what to expect, industry standards, and how to handle testing logistics from our unique location in the Keweenaw.

Employer Tips: Finding the “Right” Fair for Your Hiring Organization

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.

Career Fair Registration Review Process

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!

Fall 2026 – Pre-Fair Events

We know that when you travel to campus, every hour counts. If you want to get the absolute most out of your visit, the night before the Career Fair is your golden opportunity to build meaningful connections with students before the main event.

To help you maximize your time on campus, we highly recommend adding these high-impact engagement options to your itinerary when you register for the Career Fair or finalize your travel arrangements.

Enhance Your Presence: Targeted Campus Mixers

As part of your registration process, you can opt-in to receive invitations to our campus Mixers. These are highly targeted, department-hosted networking events designed to connect you with smaller, specific groups of students.

Fall 2026 Career Fest Schedule

Are you concerned that students won’t recognize your brand? Career Fest events allow you to highlight the things you make and do!

What kinds of things does your company bring to an industry trade show? Bring those same items to campus to show off to our students in an outdoor, casual event. This “show and tell” format lets students learn what you do or make and what kinds of jobs they can find at your company. Enhance your branding by participating in one or more of these days.

The lineup for Fall 2026 includes:

  • Thu, Sep 4 | $75 | Local Jobs Expo (Employers in Baraga, Houghton, and Keweenaw Counties)
  • Wed, Sep 9 | $550 | Michigan Day (Employers with an office in Michigan)
  • Tue, Sep 15 | $550 | General Industry Day
  • Thu, Sep 17 | $550 | General Industry Day
  • Tue, Sep 22 $550 | Foundry Fest
  • Wed, Sep 23 | $0 | Aerospace Day (Employers in the Aerospace Industry)

Local Jobs Expo 2026

The Local Jobs Expo is designed exclusively for employers with offices located in Baraga, Houghton, and Keweenaw counties. This event highlights the valuable career opportunities available within our region while strengthening connections between local employers, Michigan Tech students, and the surrounding community.

By participating, your organization helps support the growth and retention of talent in the local community and showcases the many ways students can build meaningful careers in the Copper Country.

If your organization is interested in connecting with Michigan Tech students and providing professional development opportunities, we encourage you to participate. Students are eager to learn about local part-time employment, full-time career opportunities, and job shadowing experiences within our community.

This fair will be held on Friday, September 4, 2026. (Registration is part of our Career Fest series of events.)

2026 Signing Day

We took advantage of a sunny spring day in Houghton to celebrate our students with a “Signing Day” photo session at the Husky statue. This event serves as a visual testament to the hard work and dedication our students put into their professional development. Whether embarking on a summer internship, a semester-long co-op, or a full-time career after graduation, these Huskies are ready to make a significant impact in their respective fields.

It is an exciting time on campus as we watch these students launch into their next chapters. These photos represent more than just a job placement; they represent the culmination of a rigorous Michigan Tech education and the bright futures that lie ahead. We are incredibly proud to see our students joining industry leaders and innovators across the country.

Employer Tips: How to Maximize Results at Virtual Career Fairs

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.

Make the Most of Your Virtual Career Fair

A virtual fair isn’t quite the same as walking into the SDC and weaving through rows of booths — but with a little prep, it can be just as impactful. Think of it as your chance to connect with employers without the lines, the noise, or the scramble. Here’s how to set yourself up for success and make the most of the experience.

  1. Strengthen Your Handshake Profile

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. Potential employers search for candidates on Handshake before and during the fair, so think of your profile as your first impression.

  • Build Your Profile: Start with the basics. Handshake has a quick guide to help you create a strong public profile.
  • Polish Your Resume: Update it, refine it, and share it with Career Services once it’s done. We’re more than happy to help if you’d like feedback.
  • Upload Your Resume: Upload your final resume to your Handshake profile and make it public so employers can view it. 
  • Add a Headshot: Need a professional photo? Stop by Career Services during our normal walk-in hours

Handshake Collection For Alumni

Career Services is excited to introduce a new Handshake Collection: By Huskies For Huskies.

Similar to “staff picks” at your favorite bookstore, this curated collection highlights select job opportunities to help you discover roles that may be a great fit.

If you’d like to feature a job from your company in this collection, we’d love to include it! Simply send the URL of your Handshake job posting to career@mtu.edu, and Career Services will manually add it to the By Huskies For Huskies collection.