More Than 130 Employers Recruit for UMass Lowell Candidates in Two-Day Event
Senior psychology major Molly Polanek participates in a group session with a recruiter from The Key Program during the virtual Spring Career Fair.
03/17/2021
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu and Christine Gillette, 978-758-4664, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
LOWELL, Mass. – UMass Lowell student Molly Polanek showed up well-prepared for her first career fair. Not only did the psychology major have her résumé ready to go, but she researched the employers with whom she planned to meet and wrote a list of detailed questions for each of them.
And she did it all from the comfort of her home in Milford.
Polanek was among the more than 650 UMass Lowell students who participated in the recent Spring Career Fair and another recruiting event specifically designed for students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Both sessions were presented virtually by the UMass Lowell Career and Co-op Center.
Recruiters from nearly 130 companies met with students one-on-one and in group sessions over the course of the two-day event, which was held on the networking and job search platform Handshake.
The STEM Career Fair featured a lineup of 73 employers, including Analog Devices, Eversource Energy, Massachusetts General Hospital and MIT Lincoln Laboratory.
According to Karen O’Donnell, manager of business operations and special events for Career Services, 450 UMass Lowell students participated in the three-hour STEM fair and logged more than 1,800 interactions with employers – mostly in the one-on-one setting.
“The students were really productive, which we were pleased to see,” O’Donnell said.
The following day, recruiters representing 55 employers – including Bank of America, CVS Health, EY, Putnam Investments and Sherwin-Williams -- sought out UMass Lowell students majoring in business, social sciences, liberal arts and health sciences at the Spring Career Fair.
Some 213 students attended and had nearly 800 one-on-one and group interactions with employers over the course of the three-hour event.
The U.S. economy is still down about 10 million jobs since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year and the nation’s unemployment rate is at 6.2 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But career-focused events at UMass Lowell suggest there may be an increase in hiring this spring, as more people become vaccinated against the disease and the new federal rescue-aid package spurs economic recovery.
“We’re seeing a flurry of job postings on Handshake,” said O’Donnell, who has spoken with companies that are feeling more comfortable bringing workers back to the office. “Hopefully, these graduates are going to have a good selection.”
Polanek, who participated in the event hoping to find a summer internship, enjoyed the virtual format.
“The video-call setup was still personal enough that I could make a connection with an employer, while also learning more about the company,” she said. “I really enjoyed my meetings with the Massachusetts Trial Court and the Key Program because I feel that they could potentially have great opportunities for me.”
During her group session with the Key Program, a nonprofit social service agency focused on helping children, youth and their families, Polanek asked the recruiter how students can stand out in interviews during the pandemic. She also asked about what a typical day at the agency is like.
“I was very comfortable with it. Each session got better and better,” Polanek said. “Afterward, I felt excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.”
To help students prepare for the virtual fairs, Career Services hosted several Q&A sessions on Zoom. UMass Lowell Career Services Director Kerry Willard Bray moderated a “Navigating Virtual Career Fairs” panel that feature recruiters from Enterprise Holding, Liberty Mutual and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
“Meeting with an employer one-on-one at the career fair can be a little intimidating if you’ve never done it before,” Willard Bray said. “When it’s virtual, it’s just you and the employer for 10 minutes with no other distractions. We were able to give students some added confidence in their ability to do that.”
For undergraduate business, engineering and science students looking for a three- or six-month co-op this summer, Career Services hosted a special networking and recruitment event in early March called “The Co-op Connection.” More than 30 employers from across the region attended, which drew 125 students.
UMass Lowell is a national research university offering its more than 18,000 students bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in business, education, engineering, fine arts, health, humanities, sciences and social sciences. UMass Lowell delivers high-quality educational programs and personal attention from leading faculty and staff, all of which prepare graduates to be leaders in their communities and around the globe. www.uml.edu