UCR Business CareerFest 2026
This October, the University of California, Riverside (UCR) School of Business is hosting a new recruiting event called CareerFest. It’s our first-ever event designed to support traditional recruiting, foster genuine engagement, and offer access to our undergraduate and graduate business students for a streamlined recruiting experience. With unique curated experiences, CareerFest is designed to help you build meaningful connections and discover your next great hire.
About the Event
Date: October 13, 2026
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (set up begins at 10:30 a.m.)
Location: The Highlander Union Building (HUB), central campus
Other: Complimentary registration, parking, and lunch
Date: October 13, 2026
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (set up begins at 10:30 a.m.)
Location: The Highlander Union Building (HUB), central campus
Other: Complimentary registration, parking, and lunch
Agenda
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM: Employer Check-in & Set Up
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Club Leader Meet Up with Employers
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM: Lunch
12:30 PM - 3:00 PM: Employer Tabling
12:30 PM - 3:00 PM: Employer Coffee Chat
How CareerFest Maximizes Your Time
This event is structured to help you more easily identify and engage with candidates who align with your company culture and talent needs through three key features:
Club Leader Session
Kick off the event with an exclusive session introducing you to the influential student leaders of our undergraduate and graduate business organizations. Representing a wide range of professional, affinity, and industry-focused groups, these student leaders offer valuable insight into the campus community and provide an opportunity to build meaningful relationships with some of UCR's most engaged and driven students.
Traditional Tabling
At the heart of CareerFest is the traditional recruiting experience, designed to help you connect with a broad pool of undergraduate and graduate business students. You'll receive a dedicated table in the main recruiting space to showcase your organization, discuss career opportunities, and engage with students seeking internships and full-time positions.
Employer Coffee Chat
Continue the conversation beyond the recruiting table through scheduled one-on-one or small-group coffee chats with students who align with your organization's hiring goals and talent needs. These focused conversations provide additional time to build meaningful connections, explore candidates' interests and experiences, and identify potential future hires. To participate, employers must bring a minimum of two representatives.
Employer Reflections
National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) research May 14, 2026
Internship programs are about more than just getting quality hires in the door: Retention metrics reported in NACE’s 2026 Internship & Co-op Report demonstrate the long-term ROI of having a program
However, higher retention rates are just one of the benefits of internship programs. Employers hail these programs as effective recruiting tools that allow them to identify early talent and develop skills in and strengthen ties to top talent in order to convert them to full-time roles following graduation. This effort is showing up as the conversion rate surged to 63.1% for 2024-25 interns, the highest rate in five years.
Employer Testimonial
