Aroostook Aspirations Initiative, the University of Maine at Presque Isle, and the University of Maine at Fort Kent are collaborating to put a new spin on career fairs. The County’s first ever “Reverse Career Fair” is scheduled for Thursday, April 16 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Caribou Health and Wellness Center.
While a traditional career fair encourages employers to set up booths and share the needs of their businesses and industry markets with students attending the event, the Reverse Career Fair literally reverses these roles, with students taking ownership. College freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors compete for a spot at the fair, set up a display, and have the opportunity to meet leaders of business in Aroostook County.
Tammy Delisle, career planning and internship placement coordinator at UMFK, discovered the concept while researching ideas for career fairs.
“The idea of a Reverse Career Fair is an outside-of-the-box concept, but I strongly believe it is needed and will work well for Aroostook County. Through past coordination and feedback received from employers attending the traditional career fairs on the campuses of UMFK and UMPI, we found that students did not always approach the employers, and therefore connections were not made,” she said.
“The Reverse Career Fair concept places the students on the other side of the table and allows the employers to approach the students. It is a win-win for everyone. Students get to meet and put their resume in the hands of employers, and employers invest only a small segment of time in place of an entire day,” said Delisle. “Employers should not miss this opportunity to network with our students and discover the professional and leadership skills they can offer.”
April Flagg, executive director of the AAI, is excited about the partnership between the universities and AAI.
“This concept was a perfect fit for our new internship program,” she said. “Connecting students with the employers in Aroostook, with the business and civic leaders, is a vital tool as we all work to reverse our outward migration. This event not only gives students a chance to brag about their abilities and skills, it helps employers see what this generation can bring to the workforce.”
“The University of Maine at Presque Isle has made career preparation opportunities for our students an area of even greater focus, so we are very pleased to be partnering with AAI and UMFK on this innovative event,” said UMPI President Linda Schott. “We are working on efforts that would provide all of our students with internships and other work experiences before they graduate, and the Reverse Career Fair is going to be a wonderful addition to that. Our hope is that it will help to expand our students’ understanding of the many great job opportunities available right here in Aroostook County.”
Employer involvement is key to the success of this event, as one of the goals is to showcase the opportunities available for students in the region. Engaging students in the work available in Aroostook and allowing them to meet the people who make the hires, and who will have future positions available, helps students see Aroostook as a great place to live and raise families.
Businesses who wish to attend the fair should email AAI at info@gauvinfund.org. Students interested in securing a spot should email Nicole Fournier at UMPI at nicole.l.fournier@umpi.edu or Delisle at UMFK at tammy.delisle@maine.edu.
