UW College of Business Draws 300 Students, 85 Companies to Recent Career Fair

This year, the University of Wyoming College of Business embarked on a mission to develop a more inclusive and equitable career fair for its business students.

In addition to reducing registration barriers, the college provided UW-branded T-shirts to students who attended with the expectation that they would sport jeans for the event rather than suits and ties.

The career fair, which took place Sept. 8, was the largest in UW College of Business history in terms of student engagement and employer participation. The event saw a 100 percent increase in student attendance from the previous year, with well over 300 students participating in the fair.

Scott Beaulier, dean of the UW College of Business, says he was impressed with the event.

“My first career fair as the College of Business dean blew me away,” he says. “As I walked around the fair and visited with our students and employers, I heard a resounding theme that our ability to lower the barriers to be involved in this event allowed everyone to feel more comfortable participating.”

On the employer side, 85 companies -- from Texas to Minnesota -- were at the event. The number represented a 121 percent increase from 2021. In total, 37 Wyoming-based employers were in attendance along with many other businesses that have a strong presence within the state and region.

“It takes a dedicated team of student success professionals to not only put on this fun and exciting day in the college, but also to prepare our students to take full advantage of it as they plan for their future careers,” says Taylor True, director of the Peter M. and Paula Green Johnson Student Success Center. “It becomes possible to hold transformative events like these due to our people and their hard work.”

The event’s scale required creative use of the entirety of the east wing of the College of Business Building for the first time. Students started their journey on the top floor of the building; worked their way down the different department corridors to talk with various employers; and exited from the Jonah Bank Atrium.

“Our responsibility as the College of Business is to ensure that we are relevant to our industry partners. Seeing over 85 of those partners in our building recruiting our best and brightest indicates that we are fulfilling that mission,” says Steve Russell, assistant dean of the UW College of Business. “These partners not only were here providing job and internship opportunities for our students, but they also are engaged with us throughout the year, ensuring that we are not only Wyoming’s business school, but a top school in our region.”

In addition to the 85 employers at the fair, the college maintains close employer partnerships with more than 200 organizations that continue to drive a strong placement rate for UW’s business students upon graduation.

Organizations that would like to partner with the UW College of Business can go to the college’s employer partner site or email Russell at steve.russell@uwyo.edu.