CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – North Carolina student-athletes began their transition from backpack to briefcase at the ninth-annual UNC Student-Athlete Career and Networking Fair, held in the Blue Zone at Loudermilk Center for Excellent earlier in the fall semester.
 
A total of 30 companies, organizations, graduate programs, and individuals came to recruit and network with Tar Heel student-athletes.
 
With employers at tables throughout the Blue Zone area, student-athletes circulated to learn more about opportunities and career paths. This year's fair drew nearly 180 student-athletes, a record crowd for this event.
 
"The career fair had a wide variety of options, some of which I never would have thought to consider and gave me a chance to branch out and talk to new people," said Julia Hunt, a senior on the rowing team who is majoring in public policy.  "More than that, it was an opportunity to practice my skills of meeting and interacting with people in a professional setting. I'm grateful for the opportunity to explore my post-graduation options in a setting that was comfortable for me."
 
A notable aspect of the fair is that many of the company representatives are themselves former UNC student-athletes. The shared perspective is a plus for those on both sides of the table, as the alums can easily put themselves in the current student-athletes' cleats, while appreciating even more the qualities that student-athlete bring to companies.
 
"We have a proven track record of hiring amazing student athletes from UNC - currently we have three directors that are former Tar Heels," said Amanda Bussey, Sales Recruiting Manager for E&J Gallo.  "We look for strong leadership skills in our candidates as well as strong work ethic - both of which come natural to student athletes.  Pair that with coachability, being a team player and good time management skills it's really a winning combination that has worked for us.  And the fact that UNC's Athletic Department is so fabulous to work with keeps us coming back."
 
The turnout is yet more evidence that employers place a high value on many of the traits student-athletes practice every day, such as teamwork, competitive drive, grit and time-management skills. Tar Heel student-athletes challenge themselves while also balancing their academic responsibilities. In so doing, they're building skills that will serve them well after their athletic careers, whether that's at graduation or following a professional career. As the famous NCAA commercial points out, most won't go pro in sports, but even those lucky enough to do just that can benefit from practicing their networking skills.
 
"It was unbelievably great to be back in person for the first time in three years," said Cricket Lane, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development.  "There was excitement, and there was lots of interest by both student-athletes and companies.  Many contacts were made – contacts resulting in summer internships and employment after graduation.  We are looking forward to next year, when things will be bigger and better than ever as we build off the momentum of this year." 
 
The fair also highlights Carolina Athletics' many collaborations, most notably with University Career Services, a key partnership and source of ongoing programing and support.
 
Thank you to all of the companies, organizations, and mentors who attended the 2022 UNC Student-Athlete Career and Networking Fair:
 
Tar Heel Sport Properties
Scholarships & Awards
Abbott
Carolina Hurricanes
Ackerman Center for Excellence and Sustainability
Blockchain Made Easy
Obsesh
EmergeOrtho
Infosys
Wells Fargo
Carolina's Dentist
Amazon
Cisco
The National Bank
Durham Sports Commission
Northwestern Mutual
Enterprise
Nike
Group Management Services
E&J Gallo Winery
NC State Bureau of Investigation
Fleet Feet
Personify
SRS Distribution
Varonis
MOGL
Insight Economics
KBI Biopharma
Regions Bank
RangeWater Real Estate