Employers on Campus

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It isn’t often that employers come to you as a job or internship seeker. But it happens frequently here in CLA—in a variety of ways that you will definitely want to take advantage of as a CLA student.

On-Campus Interviews

Many local and national employers come to campus each semester to recruit and interview CLA students for full-time job and internship opportunities. For-profit, nonprofit, and government employers from a variety of industries are represented in CLA’s on-campus recruiting program.

One of the key ways employers recruit on campus is through on-campus interviews. Employers post a position, qualified students apply for it, and organization representatives select which applicants they want to interview. 

Representatives then conduct the interviews in one or more of the interview centers on campus. CLA’s interview center is in Bruininks Hall.

How You Can Participate in On-Campus Interviews

You’ll first need to write a resume, get it approved by CLA Career Services, and upload it to your profile in Handshake. (Note: The approval process generally takes one or two business days). 

Next (assuming you’re already logged into Handshake—if not, you’ll have to log in first), click on the “Jobs” tab and then, on the screen that follows, click on “On-Campus Interviews.” 

To request an on-campus interview, click on the organization you want to interview with, then (on the screen that follows) choose the position you want to interview for. On the next screen, you’ll see an overview of the position and the organization, along with a button on the right-hand side that says “Apply.” Click that button to apply for the position and request an on-campus interview for it.

CLA’s On-Campus Interviewing Cancellation Policy

If you apply for a position, are accepted for an on-campus interview, and sign up for an interview day and time, you are expected to be there and to arrive on time. 

If you are unable to attend the interview, you must cancel at least 2 business days before. If you don’t, your access to GoldPASS will be suspended and you may be disqualified from on-campus recruiting opportunities and jobs.

To cancel your interview, notify us by calling 612-626-6574 and asking for CLA Employer Relations. Email cancellations will not be accepted.

If you show up late to your interview, you may be disqualified from that interview and from future on-campus recruiting.

This is a campus-wide policy followed by all UMN career offices.

Job/Career Fairs

CLA hosts or recommends several job/career fairs each year that give you the chance to talk to many employers at once about the job and/or internship possibilities. (Note: These events are also great for career exploration purposes).

The CLA Internship & Career Fair, for example, offers you an opportunity to explore internship, volunteer, and full-time opportunities with employers from a variety of industries who are hiring CLA students and recent alumni. This free event is open to CLA students and recent alumni. 

The UMN Job and Internship Fair, meanwhile, is the biggest student career fair in Minnesota. It gives you the chance to explore unique job and internship opportunities with more than 350 employers in a variety of industries. The fair is open to all enrolled U of M students—both undergraduate and graduate—as well as alumni who graduated in the past three years. 

See which job/career fairs are happening when, and where.

Other Opportunities to Interact with Employers

  • Information Sessions or Open Houses are usually facilitated on campus by representatives from an organization to promote their job or internship openings. The representative provides a summary of the company and the types of positions available. You then have plenty of time to ask questions. You can use an information session to figure out if you're genuinely interested in a particular position or organization—and, more broadly, the career field or industry the organization represents.
  • Recruiting Tables in Coffman Memorial Union are great opportunities to interact informally with an organization. You can meet the organization's recruiter(s), ask questions, and drop off a resume if you’d like. 
  • Practice Interview Days are offered every semester by CLA Career Services. Professional recruiters come to campus to conduct practice interviews with CLA students. After each interview, the recruiter offers individualized feedback and interviewing tips. Learn more about Practice Interview Days in the Events section of our website.
  • Resume Reviews from employers or alumni can be a great way to have another set of eyes take a look at your materials and offer their perspectives. Watch the Events section of our website for days and times.
  • Employer Panels bring together several employer representatives from different organizations who speak on a panel. Again, there’s lots of time for you to ask questions, and even talk with the speakers afterward.
  • Student Organization and Classroom Presentations offered by employers are excellent opportunities to learn about organizations and informally interact with employers and/or alumni. Take advantage of these events!

Visiting Employers On-Site

Opportunities to connect with employers off-campus are also available. Some employers will host open houses at their office locations, and CLA Career Services provides transportation for CLA students to visit organizations throughout the Twin Cities area through the Employer Site Visit Program. By visiting an organization on-site, you experience a work culture firsthand while learning about current and emerging career paths. Site visits are an opportunity to learn from current employees, who are often CLA alumni, about their career journey and what they love about their work. These visits are opportunities to enhance your career readiness by making connections and gaining insights into your own liberal arts advantage! The Employer Site Visit Program is coordinated by CLA Career Services and sponsored by the CLA Alumni Society. Past visits have included bswing, CH Robinson, Hennepin County Government Center, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, Target, The Arc Minnesota, and TPT - Twin Cities PBS, among others.

If You’re Studying Abroad or Otherwise Away from Campus ...

If you’re a CLA student and you’re studying abroad (or you’re otherwise away from campus) during on-campus interviewing sessions, please contact us in CLA Career Services to discuss possible alternative arrangements you can make. Some employers may be open to scheduling a phone interview or an interview via Skype or to set up a face-to-face meeting with you once you return to campus.