Hello from Harrisonburg! We're wrapping up another successful recruiting season, thanks to all of our partners and employers that visited campus and participated in virtual recruiting events this semester.
Starting Friday, May 1st, you can begin registering for fall recruiting events in Handshake. This includes our fall career fairs, on-campus interviews, information tables, and information sessions. If you have a specific day in mind for your recruiting events, please register early. Popular dates around career fairs and other important events on campus get requested very quickly.
JMU's newly adopted pillars of its next strategic plan include becoming the preferred business partner in Virginia. Help us understand what that would look like in your organization related to your recruiting strategy. Schedule a consultation with the Employer Services team today.
This edition's features:
- Plan to attend our Virtual Employer Forum
- Fall Career Fair dates!
- Madison Micros- An opportunity to Accomplish Short-Term Project-Based Work
- Employer feedback requested: let us know why you hire JMU students AND if you're interested in presenting to classes or student organizations
- No-cost options for recruiting including Practice Interview Events and Recruiter Stylist Hour
- Featured Employer Engagements including fun info tables and career treks
- Career Closet
- Welcoming Sean Higdon
- UCC Partner Program
All the best, Laura
P.S. - Pass It On!
Are there organizations in your network looking to recruit new talent? Share this newsletter with them and let them know they can connect with our Employer Services Team to help navigate their hiring needs, whether they are looking for interns, seasonal or full-time employees.
august employer forum
We are hosting two virtual events this summer: Thursday, August 6th, 9-10am Friday, August 14th, 9-10am
Employers will have the chance to learn about recruiting at JMU, hear about new and innovative ways to reach students, and have questions answered from our Employer Services Team.
Registration will open in June and will be free to attend. We'd love to have you join us!
fall Career Fairs
Registration for Fall Career Fairs opens May 1st!
- University Career Fair (UCF) Day 1: Tuesday, September 29th, 2026 in the AUBC; this event is catered toward ALL majors
- University Career Fair (UCF) Day 2: Wednesday, September 30th, 2026 in the AUBC; this event is catered toward ALL majors
- CISE Fair: Wednesday, September 16th, 2026 in Festival Ballroom; this event is catered toward the following majors: Biotechnology, Computer Science, Engineering, Geography, Information Technology, Integrated Science & Technology, and Intelligence Analysis
- Hart Fair: Wednesday, November 4th, 2026 in Festival Ballroom; this event is catered toward Hospitality and Sport & Recreation Management majors
- Nurse Recruitment Day: Thursday, September 10th, 2026 in Festival Ballroom; this event is catered toward Nursing majors
When you register for the University Career Fair, you'll be asked to align your registration with one or more career community.
Important Fall Semester Dates
- August 26th: First Day of Classes
- October 7th-11th: Fall Break
- October 16th-18th: Homecoming (Welcome home, Dukes!)
- November 21st-29th: Thanksgiving Holiday Break
- December 11th: Last Day of Classes
Madison Micros
The Madison Micros Program is designed to provide students with valuable career-related experience through smaller scale individual projects (aka Project-Based Experiential Learning or Micro-Internships).
Madison Micros are a developmental opportunity with a smaller time commitment where students are hyper-focused on completing one project for an organization/individual. These opportunities can span anywhere from 20-80 hours.
Micro-Internships are a great way to interact with new talent and introduce new and innovative ideas to existing projects!
This spring semester we had 252 individual students complete over 750 applications for Micro-Internships. We were able to fill 30 positions as we kickstart this new initiative!
Click the button below to learn more about Micro-Internships and the projects that qualify!
Want to Present to Classes or Student Organizations? Let Us Know!
No-Cost Recruiting options: Practice interview events & recruiter stylist hour
The UCC offers virtual and in-person programs throughout the year, allowing employers the opportunity to connect with our students in meaningful and creative ways. These programs include Employer Panels, Practice Interview Events, Career Treks and more! Check out the recruiting timeline of these amazing opportunities with the Employer Menu of Services! To get connected, contact handshake@jmu.edu.
And don't forget information tables and sessions are a completely free way to highlight your company on campus!
Practice Interview Events
Our Practice Interview Events (PIE) offer students the opportunity to practice their interview skills without additional pressure and allows them to receive feedback from employers.
Fall Semester PIE dates are here! Sept. 15th (Virtual - AM) Oct. 16th (In-person - ALL DAY) Nov. 12th (Virtual - PM)
Recruiter Stylist Hour
This is a brand new and fun way to get involved with students! Join us at our student event "Clothes, Cookies, & Resumes" to help students style their workplace attire from our in house Career Closet. Students look up to and value your fashion advice!
Fall dates are being held Thursday, September 24th and Friday, September 25th!
Want to get involved? Email handshake@jmu.edu
Featured Employer engagements
Take a "Paws" with Hilton
Hilton Careers visited JMU's campus this Spring and turned an Employer Info Table into a fun and interactive way to engage with students. Located in a prime traffic spot on campus and utilizing therapy dogs and ice cream, Hilton created a non-traditional take on info tables that connected with over 100 students!
We would LOVE to see more creative tabling events such as this one! Remember that Employer Info Tables are completely FREE. Make your mark on JMU students by creating memorable experiences and valuable connections.
Featured Recruiting option: Career Treks
This semester we had the opportunity to bring students to you! Employers hosting students for site visits helps students get a better feel for the "day in the life" of an organization and generates buzz about your organization back on campus. Here are a couple noteworthy treks!
United Airlines
United planned an airport adventure that included tours of the United hangar, the Tier 2 construction site, and the Station Operations Center (SOC). Students and our UCC Team also watched a plane land up close and saw a live demonstration of bag loading and ramp deployment for an arriving flight.
Downtown Harrisonburg Entrepreneurship Walk & Learn
Employers from Downtown Harrisonburg presented to a group of eager JMU students about real-world start-up stories and the vibrant small-business ecosystem. By inviting students to see their work environment, students were able to envision themselves as a contributing member to the company.
Monticello
Monticello employees provided students with an opportunity to learn about diverse career paths within a museum setting. Students also networked with JMU alumni, toured the historic Monticello, and participated in the Slavery Tour.
jmu Career Closet
Hosted and organized by the University Career Center and The Pantry, the JMU Career Closet is a clothing and accessory resource for all JMU students, with a specific focus on work and interview attire. This is a donation-based resource, and students are welcome to take one complete outfit or up to 5 items from the closet each semester, FREE of charge. This has been one of our most popular services and it is still growing!
Our Career Closet just got a major makeover! Before, clothing was separated by type into different rooms and was hung on make-shift clothing racks. NOW, we are so excited to announce that the closet looks like a luxury walk-in closet with built in shelves and hangers.
We would love more donations to help us fill the new additional space (especially blazers and men's clothes!). We welcome your donations at any time and ask that donations be new or gently used; in ready-to-wear condition; with no stains, odors, tears, or missing buttons. All apparel and footwear sizes are needed!
To set up a drop off or get more information about the closet, please contact Alyssa Hawley, adamsar@jmu.edu
Employer Survey
Please take 5 minutes to let us know why you hire JMU students!
Welcome Sean!
Sean Higdon is our new Coordinator of Internships & VA Employer Outreach!
Sean started his career journey with Starbucks, where his love for connecting people lead to a multitude of leadership and operations opportunities. Now, as UCC's Coordinator of Internships & VA Employer Outreach, Sean is passionate about helping students connect with employers and expand networks. He is excited to connect with new employers and continue to build relationships with long-standing partners. If you are a VA Employer we haven't had the privilege of connecting with, please don't hesitate to reach out to Sean!
UCC Partner Program
Looking for help with marketing your positions and events on campus? Consider joining the UCC Partner's Program! There are many benefits to this program, including:
- Enhanced assistance with marketing your events
- A prime location at the University Career Fair
- Company branding opportunities
Want to learn more? Contact Laura Hickerson, at hickerly@jmu.edu
Thank you to our current UCC Partners!
Our UCC staff would like to thank you all for your continued support in recruiting our Dukes! We hope you enjoy the spring and summer season and we look forward to seeing you here at JMU soon. GO DUKES!!!
Connect with the University Career Center on social media @jmucareer!