There were 103 companies registered for the career fair as of Wednesday. Some of the companies currently registered for Day One include DTE Energy, Proctor & Gamble, and Cedar Point, while the companies registered for Day Two include Alsager Animal Care Center, Clean Water Action, and the Food and Drug Administration. Students are encouraged to continue checking the list of employers up to the day of the career fair.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many internships and jobs to be put on hold, Career Services Network is making sure every employer at the career fair will actually be looking to hire students.

“Of course those who have been registering want to ensure that their options for summer and upon graduation are viable, that they're actually going to be happening,” Karin Hanson, director of employer relations and communications at the Career Service Network, said. “So these employers are all taking a look at any changes that the pandemic has and how it’s affected them, and we’re encouraging them not to register until they know for sure that these options will be available to students."

Students are required to pre-register for the career fair and are encouraged to register for both days. Because the Spring Career Fair is being held virtually, students will have to prepare for and conduct their interviews in a different way, Hanson said.

“When students do register, they receive information with some basic instructions,” Hanson said. “Each employer has chat room times — the times that their chat room is open. So they will want to make sure that for the employers they are interested in connecting with, they check out those chat room times. ... When you participate in the fair, you can enter into as many chat rooms as you would like. Obviously we don’t recommend being in more than, I would say, two chat rooms at a time because you are facilitating conversations between the two.”

Employers are allowed to ask for a virtual, face-to-face interview, so students should also be prepared by dressing professionally, checking their cameras and audio beforehand, and conducting the interviews with a professional background behind them, Hanson said.

The Career Services Network will be hosting a “Know Before You Go Log In” webinar to provide advice on how to succeed at the virtual career fair Friday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Hanson said that there are other opportunities for employment even if students aren’t able to attend the virtual Spring Career Fair.

“There are opportunities through other fairs,” Hanson said. “And the great thing is that a lot of fairs are open to the majority of students. For example, if they go to CareerEco, they can take a look at all the fairs that are coming up through other institutions that might be open to all students or that may be put on by an organizations. Also utilizing platforms like LinkedIn. They have a wealth of jobs that are being posted and that are up-to-date postings. And we are still seeing a lot of new jobs posted on Handshake. Currently, there are over 15,000 jobs posted on Handshake, and we’re working to validate those jobs each and every day to ensure that they are still accepting applications.”

Students are encouraged to contact Career Services Network or schedule a virtual career adviser appointment if they have any questions about the virtual Spring Fair or future employment.