The Stakes Are High: Land a Job at the Fall Career Fair

The largest career fair in Cedarville University’s 136-year history will take place on Wednesday, Oct.11, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Doden Field House. The event is open to the public and is coordinated by the career services department at Cedarville. 

The fair is expected to bring more than 180 employers to campus to meet prospective employees, including hundreds of college students from Cedarville University. The most employers to previously attend a Cedarville career fair was 178 in 2022. 

While the list of employers is long, the quality of the organization is impressive as Procter and Gamble, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, Wycliffe Bible Translators and Honda are all registered to attend. 

At a time when most job applications and interviews are conducted virtually, the career fair offers a rare opportunity for individuals to make connections with future employers face to face.  

“It’s a skill that everyone can learn,” said Jeff Reep, director of career services at Cedarville. “Every year people attend a career fair, which helps them ultimately secure a position because they hone their interviewing and presentation skills."  

The career fair is also a prime location for underclassmen to pursue summer internships with some of the leading companies in the nation.

“A lot of what keeps employers coming back is the younger students showing up,” said Reep. “If freshmen can get a summer internship, it jumpstarts their career. They come back to their fall semester and have already shown initiative and discipline related to their career.” 

Career services provides a number of services to prepare students for the career fair. Students can send their  resumes to career services to get approved, which helps their resume stand out to an applicant tracking system and be noticed by employers. They also have workshops that teach students how to maneuver the career fair and give them practical tips to make the most of the event. Interview workshops and mock interviews aid students in communicating professionally with employers, and certified career coaches can help them with their job search strategy.  

Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 5,456 undergraduate, graduate, and dual-enrolled high school students in more than 175 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, high graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and the #4 national ranking by the Wall Street Journal for student engagement. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.