2008 Diversity Career Fair
The Diversity Career Fair was originally known as the “ Minority Career Fair.” In 1981, the Minority Career Fair was created in response to employer demand for a venue to recruit underrepresented minority students pursuing technical degrees. The career fair was the first student-sponsored job fair held at the University of Washington as well as the model for subsequent career fairs sponsored by other student organizations.
Since its inception, the Diversity Career Fair has experienced a phenomenal growth in participation by students and employers. Initially, participation in the fair was only by invitation. Approximately 6-8 employers seeking engineering graduates attended the first career fair. During the mid-eighties the focus of the fair shifted to include business majors and the fair was renamed the “Minority Business & Engineering Career Fair.” During the 1990s, the scope of the fair was broadened to provide an opportunity for students from ALL academic majors (Business, Engineering, Liberal Arts and the Sciences) to meet employers, learn about career and internship opportunities and potentially get a job.
Today, the Diversity Career Fair is one of the largest career fairs held at the UW. The fair attracts hundreds of employers from a wide range of business & industry, research laboratories, government agencies and non-profit organizations as well as thousands of UW students from a broad range of academic majors. The fair continues to be a conduit for employers to recruit talented, diversity college graduates.