Nearly 160 employers packed the New Balance Student Recreation Center this week with one goal: to recruit University of Maine students whose work ethic, leadership and drive have built a reputation that stretches far beyond the state’s borders.
At tables lined with booklets, branded coffee mugs, tote bags and stress balls, Shane Chandler and his colleagues eagerly greeted prospective hires for their company, Unum, during the University of Maine Career Fair.
An insurance provider headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Unum sought to fill full-time positions on their operations, claims and benefits teams at its Portland, Maine, office, as well as recruit interns. To Chandler, UMaine is “among the creme de la creme,” and alumni they hire “always exceeded expectations.”
“UMaine students are professional, eager to learn and grow, and ask a lot of questions,” Chandler said. “We’re a very value-driven company, and we see the students here really possess those qualities and align with our values.”
The UMaine Career Fair is the largest of its kind in Maine. Recruiters who attended represented banks, financial firms, consultants, engineering companies, manufacturers, schools, retailers, hospitals, state and federal agencies, and the military. With pamphlets, memorabilia, firm handshakes and smiles, they sought applicants for summer jobs, internships, and part- and full-time positions.
Upon graduation, nearly all UMaine students — 94% as of the 2023-24 academic year — gain employment, are accepted to graduate school or enter the military. The top occupational fields include engineering, business, health care and education. That’s encouraging news for the hundreds of UMaine students and alumni, like senior Owen Searle, who attended this year’s fair.
Searle, a management and marketing student from Falmouth, Maine, researched participating employers beforehand and arrived ready to make connections. He was eager to showcase his ambition, communication skills and previous work experience.
“It’s a really good way to put your foot in the door and hand out resumes,” Searle said about the fair.
Bringing hard and soft kills to meet demand
Representing the United States Marine Corps, Capt. Corbin Tyler sought students pursuing engineering, mathematics and computer science degrees at UMaine. The Marines, Tyler said, offer careers in aviation as well as roles in logistics, supply chanin management, communications, engineering and infantry.
Having attended previous events such as the Engineering and Computing Job Fair in the fall, Tyler said UMaine students stand out for their high GPAs and leadership capabilities in supervisory positions.
“We cover over 35 campuses, and UMaine is one of our larger schools,” Tyler said. “It’s been a very good school to come to.”
In addition to leadership and work ethic, employers highlighted UMaine students’ work communication skills and punctuality. Among them was Ashley Moore, field personnel coordinator from CPM Constructors in Freeport, Maine.
“We like the quality of students we get, and we really like the Construction Engineering Technology program,” Moore said, who sought engineering students for first-year internships with her company. “The program has a strong focus on things we do, particularly estimates and project management.”
Relationships are keys to success
Recruiters described UMaine as a place where long-term relationships take root. Tyler praised the university for offering in-person career fairs, allowing employers to build stronger connections with students and faculty even as some institutions have shifted away from them.
Moore noted CPM Constructors’ close involvement with UMaine’s Construction Engineering Technology program, including an owner delivering lectures on campus.
Enterprise Mobility, another participant, has partnered with UMaine for more than 30 years, according to talent acquisition manager Sare’ B. Arnold. The UMaine Career Center, which hosted the event, connects Enterprise, based in St. Louis, Missouri, with students for prospective employment.
“UMaine continues to offer us ways to connect with students in person, and that’s key for our recruitment efforts,” Arnold said. “UMaine is a big presence in the Maine community, and our business is very tied to the community. So we have a common goal: we want our people who live in Maine to thrive in their careers.”
UMaine students also help open doors for their peers, as in the case of Stone Coast Fund Services in Portland, Maine.
Jane Blanchard, who graduated from UMaine in 2025 with a degree in marketing and business management, connected with Stone Coast when a colleague from her undergraduate program provided a reference. She now works there as an investor service representative.
“The Maine Business School did a really good job making learning how to network and communicate professionally really accessible to students,” Blanchard said. “There was such a variety of classes to take that were able to cover all of my interests.”
Opportunity for growth
Many employers at the career fair offered internships and entry-level positions designed to provide professional growth and advancement.
“We work with a lot of students who start out as CNAa (certified nursing assistants) and go on to nursing school or other graduate programs,” said Mandi Saunders, a recruiter from Northern Light Health, headquartered in Brewer, Maine. Northern Light offers services throughout the state.
Saunders attended the fair seeking candidates for nurse and clinical psychologist positions for Northern Light Acadia Hospital in Bangor, Maine.
“A lot of the students we hire are from UMaine,” she said. “They hit the ground running.”
At the career fair, Gigi Grant, a junior from Gardner, Maine, pursued internship opportunities to help her to become a psychiatric nurse. A nursing student with a minor in psychology, Grant said the event allowed her to connect with many employers in one space.
Walking alongside Grant, Dakota Lovely, also from Gardner, explored graduate school offerings. A junior studying business management, Lovely plans to study optometry at a medical school.
“Mainers are in need of any health care professionals, especially optometrists,” Lovely said.
Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu
