On Wednesday, June 17, 2020, the State University System of Florida Career Centers hosted a virtual career fair that attracted more than 100 employers nationwide, offering both full-time and part-time professional opportunities to Florida’s 12 public university students and alumni. More than 1,600 job seekers attended the virtual career fair. The fair is typically held in-person at a state university in the spring.
“The success of the virtual career fair is extremely exciting, both for our job-seeking graduates as well as businesses pursuing the tremendous talent that our state universities provide,” said Syd Kitson, chair of the Board of Governors. “Pivoting this yearly in-person event to a virtual fair enabled more access to graduates and businesses, and reflects the nimbleness of the System to respond to the needs of our State despite the Pandemic we are all facing.”
Industries represented included engineering, cybersecurity, defense, IT, business and commerce, health and human services, law enforcement, education, local and national government, logistics and hospitality. Some employers conducted interviews during the event, while others used the forum for screening and will schedule future interviews with candidates. Screening and interviews took place through chat sessions. Students and alumni were given a chat schedule with open times from some employers and the option to reserve chat times. Other employers used the event to collect resumes and identify potential candidates. Employees from each of the universities staffed chatrooms to answer students’ questions and help them navigate the virtual career fair.
New safety and health protocols put in place due to COVID-19 have caused universities to reevaluate career fairs for the fall semester. The University of West Florida is planning to conduct all career fairs virtually in Fall 2020.
“The SUS Florida Career Centers are thrilled that we were able to offer our traditional statewide career fair virtually,” said Lauren Loeffler, executive director of career development and community engagement. “The event attracted the highest candidate (student/graduate) attendance in recent history. This record attendance proves that we must continue to find innovative ways for our students and graduates to connect with employers. The event certainly increased access for candidates from all over the state, who in the past may have been unable to attend the live in-person event in Orlando.”
For more information about job fairs, visit https://floridacareercenters.org/.
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Facts about the State University System of Florida and the Board of Governors
The State University System of Florida is a constitutional body led by the 17-member Board of Governors. The system has 12 universities and more than 341,000 students, making it the second-largest public university system in the nation. Responsibilities include defining the distinctive mission of each institution and managing the system’s coordination and operation. The Board appoints a Chancellor who serves as the System’s chief executive. For more, visit flbog.edu or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.