The Center for Career Development & Academic Exploration recommends that our employer partners connect early and often with students to increase employer recruitment success. An employer presence on campus can increase your brand recognition amongst students to aid your recruitment strategy.
We encourage all employers and new recruiters to attend our Hire Vols: Recruiting on Rocky Top event series as one of their first interactions with our career center. It is a standard orientation to recruiting UTK talent with the goal to give employers all the information they need to be successful. You can register on Handshake.
Our Employer Development team strives to provide opportunities for employers to connect with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville students. The initial steps for employers to connect with students on campus is to attend job fairs, post jobs in Handshake, and host on-campus interviews. Please see below for additional options to engage with our students.
Campus Connection Options
Employer in Residence
Employer in Residence is a great way to get your organization name in front of a wide variety of students while assisting students with their career development. Through this free program, employers will set up a branded table in the Center for Career Development by our drop-in hours desk. Then, the employer will assist our Peer Career Advisors during our drop-in hours with resume reviews, LinkedIn profile reviews, and more. To request a date, fill out this form.
If you are interested in one of these options, please contact Leslie Walton (lwalton@utk.edu) to discuss these opportunities.
Career Conversations
These four to five person panel events feature different industries and employment sectors. Offerings include STEM, arts/media/communications, business sectors, and more. Through these panels, you will have a chance to share your career path, showcase your organization or company, and provide advice to students exploring career options. Career Coaches plan specific panels per semester and will reach out to appropriate companies based on the industry topic.
Student Group Guest Speakers
The University of Tennessee has over 600 registered student organizations, which you can search through on VOLink. If you are interested in connecting with a specific student organization, whether professional, social, or academic, our Employer Development team will connect you to the appropriate Career Coach.
**These opportunities are not guaranteed and depend on the needs of the individual student groups.**
The Center for Career Development & Academic Exploration hosts various career events throughout the semester with other offices on campus. Events are designed to meet our students where they are and connect employers with specific populations on campus. The events can vary by semester and may not be offered on a consistent basis. Below are a list of campus partners we have partnered with previously:
- First Generation Student Initiatives
- Greek Life
- Graduate Student Senate
- Student Disability Services
- Veterans Success Center
If you are interested in engaging with one or more of the above campus partners, please complete this google form. Please note that many events with campus partners are smaller to create a casual opportunity for students to interact with employers and we will not be able to plug in every employer into Niche Events.
Our Career Coach team works with dedicated industries and academic colleges. They often partner with their academic colleges to host a variety of events focused on learning about an industry, finding a job in the industry, and networking with industry employers. You can review the Career Coach team page to learn what industries they serve and how to contact them.
If you are interested in one of the these options, please contact Leslie Walton (lwalton@utk.edu) to discuss these opportunities.
Resume Review Days
In the weeks leading up to our fall and spring job fairs, the Center for Career Development & Academic Exploration hosts a day of drop-in resume critiques featuring employer reviewers. Meet students from all majors and years in school and share your expertise.
VOLTreks
VOLTreks provides a unique opportunity for University of Tennessee students to increase their awareness of career possibilities by visiting organizations and exploring various industries and careers. A small group of students (~30) will have the chance to engage with professionals, tour the facility and gain insight into the industry. Site visits will typically last anywhere from two to four hours.
Office Hours
If you are interested in connecting with a targeted group of students or sharing more about your organization, opportunities, and brand, then office hours might be the right choice for you. Office hours are typically short 10-30 minute individual meetings with students and can be set up on a drop-in basis or as pre-scheduled slots. Coaches can help you target specific groups of students and provide advice on the best time frames and dates.
Big Orange Shadowing Program
The Big Orange Shadowing program connects students with employers, alumni, and friends of the university for in-person and virtual job shadowing opportunities in October, December, March, and May. Please contact Caleb Roberson at crobe131@utk.edu for more information.
UT Alumni are welcome back at all of our job fairs and events. Visit the UT Alumni Career Development page to learn more about engaging with UT alumni. You can also contact Becky Spaulding at bspaulding@utk.edu to discuss engaging with alumni further.
Interested in connecting with a specific academic college, department, or major? Several host their own career related events that we encourage employers to participate in as well as centralized career events. Below are their websites and appropriate contacts:
- College of Communication and Information: Devan Lane (dlane20@utk.edu)
- College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies: Caleb Knight (caleb.knight@utk.edu)
- College of Law: Carol Ann Long (calong@utk.edu)
- Haslam College of Business: Megan Flora (mflora@utk.edu)
- Herbert College of Agriculture: Maci Heffelfinger (mheffelf@utk.edu)
- Tickle College of Engineering: Darrin Rhines (drhines1@utk.edu)
Below are additional academic colleges:
Need more information? Organizations are encouraged to connect with our staff and learn how to start partnering with the center. Contact us at career@utk.edu or 865-974-5435 to discuss these opportunities.