Minnesota Private Colleges’ Job and Internship Fair

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

9:00 AM – 2:00 PM (attend anytime)

Minneapolis Convention Center – Transportation Provided

Attendance at a prep session required

Prep Sessions for 2026

Date	Time	Location
Thursday, February 5	11:30AM – 12:00PM	Google Meet: Register on Handshake for Link
Tuesday, February 10	3:30PM – 4:00PM	In-Person: TOH 212 (Register)
Wednesday, February 11	1:00PM – 1:30PM	Google Meet: Register on Handshake for Link
Friday, February 13	10:00AM – 10:30AM	Google Meet: Register on Handshake for Link
Monday, February 16	3:30PM – 4:00PM	In-Person: TOH 214 (Register)

Over 150 employers from many different career areas attend the fair. It is highly recommended that you explore employers registered for the fair and create a plan for your time at the fair. Note: Employers are registering all the time – please check back often. Employers registrations for the fair is usually complete by early February.

EMPLOYERS ATTENDING THE FAIR

Employers are registering for the job fair all the time, check back to the list regularly! Most employers are registered and visible to you by early February.

Bus transportation is available to and from campus and will run at the following times:

Departure Options: 8:15am | Buntrock Commons Turnaround (Lower Entrance)
Return Options: 11:30 or 1:00pm | Outside Convention Center (Main Entrance)

Attendance is not taken so please be on time to ensure you don’t miss the bus! Students who plan to drive on their own do not need to notify the Piper Center.

This fair is appropriate for a wide range of students seeking opportunities in the following sectors: business, nonprofit, government (city, state, occasionally federal), public service, science & technology, healthcare, education, and more. The amount of opportunity in each area can vary from year to year, so it’s always encourage that students review the employers ahead of time. Keep checking back often as employers continue to register right up to the fair!

You can browse employers and opportunities in Handshake prior to fair to help you determine if the fair is a good fit for your interests. (Direct links are above.) You are welcome to schedule an appointment with any coach in the Piper Center to discuss the fair. You are also welcome to stop by at any time and meet with a Peer Advisor in the Piper Center.

Is the fair a good option for international students?

The decision to attend will depend on each student’s goals and career interests. It is important for students to really study the employer registrations and use the filters that allow you to see employers who are open to CPT, OPT, or sponsorship before making the decision to attend. Remember, employers continue to register through the month of January. Most are registered by early February.

Juniors may have the most luck identifying internship opportunities.
Sophomores may find value in exploring and connecting with employers for a future (junior) summer internship or job. However, there are fewer internships for sophomores in general, so it can be extra challenging to find open roles for this coming summer.
For seniors seeking jobs, the fair may not be a great fit for you – although it can depend on the overall economy and employers present in a given year. Employers who sponsor for a work visa are rare at this event.

Staffing agencies offer short-term jobs that can help students, especially seniors, find meaningful work and connections to support on-going efforts to secure permanent employment. A few staffing agencies are often at the fair, offering you an opportunity to make a connection with a representative who can help you when you get closer to the summer (i.e. May). Sometimes, they can even help you find a temporary job over the summer which can function like an internship. You can find a list of prominent Minnesota staffing agencies here.
Larger corporate employers typically attend only to build brand awareness and usually have limited opportunities of relevance to our students. However, most of these employers do not consider international students anyway.
Federal agencies will not consider international students. State agencies MAY be open to you for internships. Local (city) and regional (county) governments are often more open for jobs and internships.
Nonprofits and service organizations may offer the most opportunity overall.
Smaller- or medium-sized corporate employers may be more open to you but may be less experienced with international student candidates overall. Students should be prepared to provide concise information regarding your ability to work (e.g. CPT and OPT).

Minnesota Private Colleges’ Job & Internship Fair is designed to bring employers and students together in a way that allows students the opportunity to explore many different work and internship opportunities, and employers a cost-effective means of meeting highly talented students from Minnesota’s private colleges.

The fair includes recruiter representatives from over 150 organizations from business, nonprofit, government (city, state, occasionally federal), public service, science & technology, healthcare, and more. The individual organizations each have a booth in the Convention Center on day one of the fair, and students can choose with whom they’d like to make contact.

Advanced registration via Handshake is required.
The fair is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors only.
It is the student’s responsibility to notify professors as early as possible about an expected absence from a class for the fair. It is at instructors’ individual discretion to determine how such absences will be handled.