Interested in exploring volunteer opportunities, internships or careers with local and national nonprofits? Then you won’t want to miss this spring’s virtual Public Service Fair from 3 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 15!
Hosted by the Morgridge Center for Public Service, School of Human Ecology (SoHE) and SuccessWorks at the College of Letters and Science, here’s all you need to know about the upcoming Public Service Fair and the opportunities available to students.
1) The Public Service Fair provides students a chance to connect with local and larger nonprofits, government agencies, and for-profit agencies doing social impact and public service work. The virtual fair is a great opportunity for students of all majors to chat with people from these organizations and find volunteer opportunities, jobs and internships that match their interests and career goals.
2) There are currently 63 organizations signed up to attend the event. Organizations are eager to connect with UW-Madison students to promote their missions, find volunteers, and offer internship, job, and service-year opportunities. Check out more organizations on the Handshake platform used to host the event!
3) The organizations span a wide variety of social causes and public service sectors. Some areas and causes that will be represented include healthcare, youth engagement, government and law enforcement, education, service and gap year programs, and environment and sustainability. From the Red Cross to the FBI, to the WORT radio station and 350 Madison, there is an organization for any interest or cause.
4) The Public Service Fair provides many work study opportunities and hands-on experiences for students. Several organizations offer positions that fill work study requirements.
5) About 200 students attend the Public Service Fair sessions each year. The event allows students with set career goals to discover enriching opportunities in addition to providing a space for undergraduates who are undecided in their majors to find a wealth of experience-building possibilities. Whatever your situation, the Public Service Fair is an excellent platform to discover opportunities!
6) In the virtual setting, students must sign up for individual organizations ahead of time — guaranteeing time with representatives from specific organizations! Sessions provide students a chance to learn more about the organization, ask questions, network and express interest in the organization’s work.
7) Students can attend a Mock Career Fair information session on Feb. 8 to learn more about how to optimize their experience. A virtual career fair can seem intimidating between learning new software and how best to present yourself in a short amount of time, but the prep event will help familiarize students with the Handshake system and guide students through the best practices to market themselves to organizations. Register for this prep event here!
8) Before you attend the event, make sure to flush out your Handshake profile. Students are encouraged to update their Handshake profile and upload a resume prior to the event.
9) Got any lingering questions? Reach out to Hannah Hatlan-Atwell, an advisor for the fair!
10) Register today! Students can register up to the day of the fair. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to explore careers and opportunities in public service!