Baruch College’s Starr Career Development Center reported that its two virtual career fairs for the fall 2022 semester attracted a record number of interested students.

The Starr Center holds its Undergraduate Job and Internship Fair and Accounting Career Fair every fall and spring semester. Although they are usually conducted in person at the gym, the career fairs moved online starting the fall 2020 semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Virtual Accounting Career Fair took place on Sept. 9 and welcomed both undergraduate and graduate students. The Larry Zicklin School of Business’ Graduate Career Management Center collaborated with the Starr Center in holding the event.

Prior to the event, the Starr Center held a preparatory workshop with a recruiter from KPMG, considered one of the “Big Four” accounting firms.

Representatives from 52 companies were at the accounting fair, a total the Starr Center said was a record for the event’s history. In addition to KPMG, notable companies that attended include Bank of New York Mellon Corp., CohnReznick, Ernst & Young Global Limited and New York City Housing Development Corp.

Over 338 students participated. They engaged in more than 1,300 one-on-one sessions and 45 group meetings with recruiters.

“All of them were incredibly supportive by sharing their knowledge and giving advice,” an attendee — whose name was protected due to privacy — said in a press release. “I got more clarity on the process and what I need to succeed.”

The Virtual Undergraduate Job and Internship Fair took place on Sept. 30, welcoming students from all three undergraduate schools within Baruch.

Recruiters from a total of 114 companies attended the undergraduate fair, with the Starr Center adding that this is “a record for any career fair held at Baruch.”

The companies that attended represented a wide range of industries. In addition to corporations related to finance and retail such as UBS Group AG and Bath & Body Works Inc., other employers present included the American Red Cross, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the U.S. Secret Service.

Over 940 students participated in the event, succeeding the fall 2021 semester’s 400 attendees. They engaged in 2,000 one-on-one sessions and 170 group meetings with company representatives.

An attendee said in a press release that the undergraduate fair informed them of work opportunities, adding that it helped them “understand how the hiring process works and how to stay connected with the recruiter.”

This was the first semester in which the Starr Center held both fairs through the job recruiting system Handshake since its implementation over the summer, according to an Aug. 8 email sent to students by the center. The virtual career fairs were previously held through Zoom.

Starr Center Director Ellen Stein said the large attendance at both career fairs underscores Baruch’s ability to produce career-ready students.

“It’s exciting seeing so many recruiters register and come to our events knowing that Baruch provides its students with a strong academic foundation in order to excel in their professional careers,” Stein said in a press release.