CONCORD, NH – The New Hampshire College & University Council is moving forward with its annual career fair this spring, but instead of gathering in person downtown, NHCUC is offering this event virtually in order to connect hundreds of soon-to-be college grads with several dozen employers. The NHCUC Career and Internship Fair will be held Wednesday, March 10 from 1-5 pm. To join: 2021 Virtual Career & Internship Fair hosted by NHCUC Registration | Eventbrite
“The resilience of employers and students is remarkable and although it isn’t safe to gather in large numbers in person, we still found several colleges, universities and businesses of all kinds wanted to move forward with this event,” explains Debby Scire, President & CEO of the New Hampshire College and University Council. “Last year, COVID-19 hit just as we would have placed the finishing touches on our 2020 event and we had to cancel. This year, we are thrilled to be back.”
Hundreds of students from NHTI, Colby-Sawyer, Southern New Hampshire University, New England College, Keene State College, Franklin Pierce College, Saint Anselm College, Rivier University, Plymouth State College and others are signed up; graduating seniors looking for employment opportunity will all be online in one place.
42 area businesses and non-profits who are all hiring have signed up to participate thus far, including BAE, Eversource, EastersealsNH, Genesis Healthcare, NH State Police, iHeart Media and Melanson CPAs. Company recruiters believe this virtual fair concept can be successful because they can talk to a large number of students all at once, while still being able to have a one-on-one skills assessment and job interview.
Before the pandemic, students were told to bring plenty of copies of their resume for in-person interviews, and to make sure they offer a firm handshake,” says Scire. “Eye contact still matters a lot in a virtual setting, but despite the change in venue, there are still plenty of opportunities to network, impress, even receive a job offer.”
The job market remains robust according to the latest statistics in New Hampshire. Although the unemployment rate has risen to 4% over the last year due to COVID-19, jobs are available in several sectors including health care, accounting, law enforcement, education and more.
“Given the college debt load facing graduates, it is essential for graduates to enter the workforce with a good-paying job as quickly as possible,” explains Scire. “And businesses understand our job fair features some of the best and brightest of the Class of 2021, so more of them are signing up to participate.”
Participating businesses include:
- BAE Systems
- Bankers Life
- Barton Associates
- Brattleboro Retreat
- Campus Compact for NH – AmeriCorps Programs
- Catholic Medical Center
- Cheshire Medical Center
- City Year AmeriCorps
- Crotched Mountain School
- Dartmouth College
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health
- Easterseals NH
- Electronic Imaging Materials, Inc.
- Enterprise Rent A Car
- Equitable
- Eversource
- Expo IT
- Fleur de Lis Camp
- Franco-American Centre
- Genesis HealthCare
- Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains
- Goodwill Northern New England AmeriCorps Program
- Granite State College Graduate Programs
- iHeartMedia
- John Galt Staffing
- Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice
- Loon Weddings
- Melanson CPAS
- Merrimack School District
- mthree
- National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Program
- New Chapter, Inc.
- New England Center for Children
- New Hampshire Public Radio, Inc. (NHPR)
- NH State Police
- NH State Police – Marine Patrol
- Northwestern Mutual
- Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund
- Realizing Children’s Strengths (RCS) Learning Center
- Seaboard Int’l Forest Products
- Sherwin Williams
- Southern District YMCA/Camp Lincoln
- State of Maine Department of Health and Human Services
- St. Joseph Hospital
- Sunrun
- The Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester
- Timken
- Youth Villages
Questions about the event? Contact Larissa Striga at striga@compactnh.org
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About NHCUC:
The New Hampshire College & University Council is a non-profit consortium of 21 public and private institutions of higher education in the state of New Hampshire. These institutions are recognized and highly regarded for their outstanding teaching, research, and community service activities. They serve as major centers of activity that are vital to the economic development of the community and the state. Founded in 1966, the Council’s mission is the advancement of public and private higher education in the state. Through collaborative efforts between the 21 member colleges and universities, the consortium enhances educational opportunities for students currently attending our member institutions.
