The University of Maine at Farmington Office of Career Services plans to host three job fairs during the spring semester.

These events, free and open to the public, offer students and other attendees the opportunity to learn new interview skills, discover job search resources, and network with employers, mentors and peers, according to a news release from the university.

The Maine Summer Camp Job Fair is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Feb 7.

Career Fest 2022 will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, March 7.

Education Career Fair, specifically hosted for in-service student teachers, will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday, March 14.

All three will be held in the UMF Olsen Student Center on South Street.

“Our goal is to help students with career development from the time they step on campus all the way to graduation,” said Cyndi McShane, assistant director of career services. “We connect with our students in their classrooms, at career events and one-on-one appointments. Our focus is to listen to where they want to be and help them plan academically and acquire the skills they need to be successful.”

In addition to hosting career events, UMF Career Service professionals serve as transition specialists whose goal is to help students be successful academically and make the transition from college to careers and life after college.

To help students learn the skills they’ll need in their job search, the office of Career Services is launching a new career kickoff initiative during the spring semester.

Students can attend hour-long job-search skills workshops every Wednesday in February, March and April. Workshops will alternate weekly, teaching one of three essential skills, including searching for jobs in their desired field of interest, preparing application materials, and improving interview skills. They will be held at noon in room 101 in the Fusion Center on campus.

The fourth week will feature a mock interview with an employer, who is also a UMF alumni, to prepare students for actual interviews. These practice interviews provide students with constructive feedback in a low-stress environment while also helping them network with employers.

Campus career professionals also visit classes to present on various post-graduation topics of interest, including graduate school planning, career exploration and job acquisition support.

Face coverings are required indoors for students, staff, faculty and visitors, regardless of vaccination status when indoors at a university facility. All visitors will be required to register with name and contact information upon entry. This information will only be used if the university needs to conduct contact tracing in the event of a confirmed exposure to the coronavirus.

Updates to COVID-19 protocols for all University of Maine System campuses can be found at maine.edu.