CLA Internship & Career Fair

CLA Internship and Career Fair

The CLA Internship & Career Fair connects CLA students across all 60+ majors with employers and organizations represented from many career fields. Students can explore internship, volunteer, and full-time opportunities with employers who are hiring CLA students and recent alumni.

The next CLA Internship & Career Fair will be early in the Fall 2024 semester.

Read about some highlights of the Fall 2023 CLA Internship & Career Fair.

The CLA Internship & Career Fair connects CLA students across all 60+ majors with employers and organizations represented from many career fields. Students can explore internship, volunteer, and full-time opportunities with employers who are hiring CLA students and recent alumni.

The CLA Internship & Career Fair will be hosted in person at Huntington Bank Stadium!

Thursday, September 28, 2023
10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Students: Stop by the Fair anytime your schedule allows! Because you do not have scheduled meeting times with employers as you might have in a virtual fair, please make sure you allow enough time to walk around the event space to meet employers with whom you’re interested in speaking. Each employer will be hosting their own recruiting table in the large exhibit space of the Cambria Club of Huntington Bank Stadium. 

Advantages of attending

  • Talk directly with hiring employers—many of whom are U of M alumni!—who want to connect with CLA students and recent alumni
  • Explore different career fields and learn more about organizations that want to hire CLA students and alumni
  • Discover internship, volunteer, and full-time position openings and the types of skills and experiences needed

Often, students won’t leave a career fair with a job or internship offer but will better understand where to apply for positions, how to best represent themselves for certain roles, and who to get in touch with to learn more or ask questions. Making a positive impression on employers can really help candidates stand out in the job or internship application process!

Steps to get started

Register for the fair on Handshake. From Handshake, go to “Events” and in that section select “Career fair.” Search for the CLA Internship & Career Fair.

The CLA Internship & Career Fair is coordinated by CLA Career Services. CLA Career Services is committed to supporting students and alumni in navigating this experience.

Registration for the CLA Internship & Career Fair is on Handshake for employers and CLA students/recent alumni.

Employers can find more information about the fair including pricing and registration deadlines on Handshake.

CLA students and recent alumni are encouraged to pre-register so they can receive preparation tips and other information related to attending the fair.

To register for the CLA Internship & Career Fair:

  1. log into Handshake
  2. go to “Events”
  3. in the "Events" section, select “Career fair"
  4. search for the CLA Internship & Career Fair

Students Say...

The most significant thing I gained at the fair was simply the practice of networking and engaging with prospective employers. Attending such events successfully takes practice.

Junior, Political Science and English

Go to as many career events at the beginning of the year as you can, because you never know how early opportunities will start appearing.

Senior, Economics

Plan ahead. Don't be afraid to go in and just ask questions, but plan a course of action beforehand.

First Year, Undecided

Employers Say...

The CLA Internship & Career Fair gives us the ability to speak with the next generation of our business, learn about what they want in a career, and add talent to our teams.

The CLA Internship & Career Fair is a great way to connect with some of the U’s most talented and bright students.

We love this fair. The variety of majors appeals to the variety of our internships. It’s great to get so much diversity for our organization.

The CLA Internship & Career Fair is happening in-person! Whether this is your first time attending a career fair or not, whether you’re looking for an internship, full-time position after graduation, volunteer or gap-year experience, or just want to talk to employers and learn, CLA Career Services is committed to supporting you.

Make the most of the fair by preparing! Review the Guide to Prepare for the CLA Internship & Career Fair.

We understand that being an international student (one who will eventually require sponsorship in order to work in the U.S.) presents some unique challenges. To help you respond to those challenges, we have prepared a few resources that are specific to the international student experience at job fairs. Make sure you take full advantage of these as well as visiting CLA Career Services for a résumé review and practice introducing yourself. Virtual appointments and drop-ins are available.

Be sure to connect with the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) office. Additionally, on the day of the fair, ISSS representatives will be available to share information about international student work authorization options.

Career Fair Checklist for International Students

  • Begin with an introduction that emphasizes your qualifications.
  • Showcase the research you have done about the company and your fit with the company.
  • Ask questions that will get a conversation started, and let the employer learn what you bring beyond being an international student.

Answering common employer questions about sponsorship

"Do you need sponsorship?" or "Do you need work authorization?"

  • "My education visa covers me for internships. I don't need any authorization or sponsorship from an employer."
  • "My education visa covers me for (X) months during which time I do not need authorization or sponsorship from my employer. After that, I would need my employer to file for a work visa, but I expect by that time to have really demonstrated my value and my fit for your company."
  • "I would not require sponsorship or any additional paperwork or expense to work for you as an intern. If, as I hope happens, I do such a great job that you want to keep me on full-time, then I would ultimately need sponsorship.

To learn more about the CLA Internship & Career Fair contact CLA Career Services:

Students

clacareer@umn.edu or 612-626-6574

Employers

hirecla@umn.edu or 612-626-6574