By Angelina Nunez

The University of Maryland’s University Career Center hosted the 2026 Fall Career & Internship Fair last week at The Hotel.

The two-day event, held Oct. 1 and 2 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., hosted more than 300 employers from a variety of industries. Thursday’s event hosted companies in STEM fields, giving students a specialized opportunity to connect with employers, while Friday’s event hosted companies across all industries. 

“The idea of it was overwhelming, but I feel like once you come in here and you start talking to people, it makes it a little bit easier to go around to employer to employer,” said Maya Karikari, a junior accounting and information systems double major. 

Karikari said a benefit of attending was being able to interact with employers face-to-face and learn about careers from the people currently in those roles, rather than through online job sites. 

“That really helped me get a little bit [of] insight on how getting internships is helpful to getting … career experience,” Karikari said. “[Being] able to actually hear about the role and … see the people too is better.”

One student didn’t think the career and internship fair was worth the hassle. 

Faith O’Connor, a junior pursuing a dual degree in psychology and government and politics, said she never attends the career and internship fairs that the university offers because she feels that the chances of receiving an offer from a company are too low. 

“I think that there’s already so many people there that you have little to no chance of actually getting a job or internship offer,” O’Connor said.

Instead of attending fairs to find jobs or internships, O’Connor said she uses Handshake and LinkedIn or reaches out to people she knows in her desired field for career opportunities.

Kennedy Mackall, a freshman public policy and economics double major, said she decided to stop by the career fair as a way to start networking early. 

“I understand that I might not have as many opportunities as upperclassmen,” Mackall said. “But this [is] a way to start networking with people in the local community.”

Despite expecting fewer opportunities than upperclassmen, Mackall said she attended the event with an open mind and optimism. 

“Honestly, [I’m] just taking a leap because anything can happen,” Mackall said.

Featured image: Students line up for the STEM-focused career fair at The Hotel on Oct. 1. Photo by Audrey Bengtson.