Career Fair Brings Exciting Opportunities for Both Sides of the Table

The Argosy Gymnasium filled up fast this year as Champlain kicked off its bi-annual Career Fair. As usual, the Career Collaborative hosted over 60 employers who lined up to speak with Champlain students about employment opportunities. From part-time and full-time work to internships and professional development, students connected with both local and national recruiters.

Every year, hundreds of students turn out for this event, but this year a record-breaking 770+ students attended. Weaving through the lines of tables, students saw some new faces in the crowd this year: The City of Montpelier, The Vermont Professionals of Color Network, The National Association of Broadcasters, BETA Technologies, among others.

Sarah Moore, assistant director of the Career Collaborative, notes the significance of attending the fair: “No matter what academic year you are in, there is a benefit to coming here,” she says, referring to professionals with excellent career advice, alumni with inside knowledge on the best ways for students to get a job post-grad, and even a LinkedIn photo station where students could take a headshot for their personal use.

“Whatever their level of experience and wherever a student is in their career journey, I think it’s good to start making connections with employers. We have 60 employers in one room, all of whom are interested in engaging with students, and if they’re first-years, they get to see who some of our wonderful employer partners are and find out what’s expected when they apply for opportunities” said Pat Boera, co-director of the Career Collaborative.

Advice From Both Sides of the Table

“We have quite a few alumni representatives here, and I always think it’s a good idea for current students to see someone who maybe last year or a couple years ago was on their side of the table as a job-seeker,” said Boera.

In fact, two Game Production Management alumni, Maliki LaForce ’23 and Damien Royer ’23, from Technology for Tomorrow were happy to impart advice on students, as they were recently in their shoes.

“If employers know you’re ready to work and ready to learn things, it’s okay if you don’t know something. People are looking for enthusiasm. They’re not always looking only for skills,” says Royer.

“I always follow the idea that ‘if your stomach isn’t churning, you’re not learning.’ If you don’t step out of your comfort zone, and you don’t get uncomfortable, you’re never going to tackle the real issues,” advises LaForce.

To that end, the path to employment is not always linear, and Champlain students are set up exceptionally well to market themselves and their skills when opportunities arise. Current Game Design student Jorge Avila ’26, for example, shares his own expectations for the Career Fair and beyond. “I’m here to look for game design opportunities, but also other creative opportunities that fit my expertise. I’m excited to talk to a bunch of different companies today,” he said.

Local Opportunities

NuHarbor Security is a local cybersecurity company with a strong relationship with Champlain, so much so that they are soon to have a presence on Champlain’s campus at Lakeside. They were, of course, in attendance at the Career Fair, offering both internships and full-time work. The best part? Every internship is a pipeline to full-time employment.

Speaking about what makes Champlain students stand out as valuable employees, one NuHarbor representative said, “What I’ve noticed about Champlain students is that they’re highly interested in hands-on experiences. I see a nice balance between theory and practice. It sets Champlain students apart.”

While nearly half of NuHarbor’s employees are Champlain graduates, there are plenty other alumni working across the state of Vermont in all industries and for companies that attend the Career Fair. Why do they sign up year after year? To access the notably talented and hard-working spirit of Champlain students.

“We have a lot of students who gain their next opportunity through coming here and making connections, because the people here—they’ve specifically taken time out of their day to hire our students. It gives you that competitive edge compared to just trying to apply to something randomly online when you don’t know who they’re looking for,” says Moore.