Each school year, the CBS Career Readiness Team hosts a range of career events and programs for you to:
- Connect with employers, peers, and alumni
- Learn about different academic and industry pathways in the life sciences
- Find new jobs or internship opportunities
- Prepare for your future career
Our events are open to all CBS undergraduates and alumni.
CBS career fairs
Life Sciences Graduate School Fair [fall semester]
At this fair, you'll have the chance to speak with representatives of master's and PhD programs in the life sciences from institutions across the country to learn more about their admissions process, curriculum, and program benefits. This includes programs in public health, biomedical sciences, neuroscience, genetic counseling, pharmacology, plant biology, and much more! This fair is great for anyone interested in pursuing graduate studies or life science careers in industry.
Fall 2025 event details
- Date: Wednesday, October 15
- Time: 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Location: Coffman Great Hall
- Register: z.umn.edu/LSGCF-2025
Pre-Health Opportunities Fair [spring semester]
At this fair, you can speak with local and on-campus organizations that provide experiences to prepare you for health professional school. This includes exhibitors recruiting for volunteer opportunities, part-time jobs, full-time jobs, study abroad programs, gap year programs, research positions, shadowing, and more. Whether you're pre-med, pre-dentistry, pre-PA, pre-pharmacy, or interested in another health profession, this is the fair for you!
Spring 2026 event details
- Date: Friday, February 6
- Time: 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Location: Coffman Great Hall
- Register: z.umn.edu/PHOF-2026
Other UMN Career Fairs
The following career fairs are open to CBS students and are a great place for finding experiences and networking with professionals.
- Environmental Career Fair [spring semester]
- Government and Nonprofit Career Fair [fall semester]
- Health Careers Fair [fall semester]
- Health Professional School Expo [spring semester]
- University of Minnesota Job & Internship Fair [spring semester]
More career fairs can be found on the UMN Career Fair Calendar.
Career fair preparation
- Read through our Career Fair Prep Guide for tips on what to do before, during, and after a career fair.
- Update your resume with the help of our CBS Resume Guide.
- Schedule an appointment with a CBS career coach for guidance on preparing for an upcoming career fair or networking event.
CBS career events and programs
On top of career fairs, CBS hosts many career events and programs throughout the year. See this semester’s upcoming events on the CBS Student Services Events Page.
CBS BioCareers employer site visits
At a site visit, you will travel with a group of CBS students to a company’s site to network with their employees, tour facilities, and learn about career pathways at their organization. Site visits are great experiences if you are exploring career fields or looking for internships and/or full-time positions in the life sciences industry.
CBS BioCareers recruiter events
At a BioCareers Recruiter event, we invite recruiters from high-interest CBS employers to campus. You can meet with them to receive a resume review, ask questions about the company, and network with the recruiter. Since these events are primarily 1:1 time with a recruiter, these events are especially great if you’re applying for internships and/or full-time positions.
CBS Alumni Insight and Peer Networking Events
We host both larger-scale mingling events and smaller lunch and learn connection events with alumni and current CBS students. At these events, you can build relationships and learn first-hand from alumni and peers about the career pathways and opportunities you can pursue with a CBS degree. You would especially benefit from attending a networking event if you are exploring career fields, on the job or internship search, or looking to build new professional connections.
CBS workshops and presentations
CBS career workshops and presentations are facilitated by our team and will leave you with new knowledge and resources to help you pursue your career goals. Career topics we’ve hosted workshops on include pre-health planning, graduate school preparation, career fair confidence building, life science career exploration, and more. Anyone looking to build career readiness skills, especially in your first and second year, are encouraged to attend a workshop.
Our team also presents career readiness sessions to CBS student organizations. Check out our career readiness sessions here and request a workshop for your student club meeting!
How to find career events
In addition to the CBS Student Services Events Page, you can find career events across campus and in the community using the following resources:
- Handshake: Handshake is the go-to platform for you to connect to career opportunities. Its events tab lists upcoming career fairs, hiring events, networking mixers, information sessions, and workshops. You can filter events by career fairs at your school, events hosted by employers, the type of event, dates, and more. As a UMN student, you have free and indefinite access to your Handshake account. Check out tips for getting started on Handshake.
- CBS Career Readiness Newsletter: Sign up to receive the CBS Career Readiness Newsletter. This newsletter will be delivered to your inbox once a month and will highlight career events, job/internship/research opportunities, and career tips. Check out past editions of this newsletter.
- UMN Pre-Health Events Calendar: Add this calendar to stay up-to-date on the many pre-health events taking place virtually and on campus, such as national information sessions, virtual shadowing opportunities, and pre-health student group events.
- UMN Undergrad Update: The Undergrad Update is sent to your email every other Monday to help you stay aware of events, resources, and information available to you across campus.
- CBS BioBrief: Sent to your email every Monday during the school year, this newsletter is helpful for staying informed on important upcoming events and opportunities, resources, and announcements from the CBS Student Services team.