Employer Hosted Events

Employer Hosted Events (EHEs) are recruitment branding activities, hosted by employers for students that can be either hiring or education-focused. These programs can be geared towards target populations or open to all students. Programs include Information Sessions, Coffee Chats, Employer Table Talks, and more.

There are various ways employers can connect with University of Florida students. Whether it’s big group sessions, informal meet and greets, or intimate chats with smaller groups, the Career Connections Center is here to help find an engagement style that is right for your company culture.

All employer hosted event programs held within the Career Connections Center include the use of technology and dedicated staffing support from our team, as well as some event-specific marketing efforts.

Employer Hosted Events held in spaces in the Career Connections Center are reserved for a minimum three-hour block*. Events can be extended beyond three hours, but additional fees will apply. When requesting events through Gator CareerLink, please indicate the exact amount of time needed for the event as well as set-up and tear-down as these are included in the three-hour block. In the reservation process, employers will be able to request a room set-up and it will be pre-arranged upon their arrival.

*During the week of Career Showcase each semester, reservations are limited to blocks of two hours due to the high volume of employer events.

Employer Hosted Events Format Options

Career Connections Center Takeover

This program provides an opportunity for an employer to reserve the entire ground level or level 1 of the Center for a creative large event. Consult with our team so we can help develop a robust and unique branding experience for your recruiting staff.

Coffee Chats and Office Hours

Host a casual meeting in smaller groups or one-on-one discussions. These events are designed to encourage students to interact with employers in the C3’s open networking spaces.

Employer Table Talks

Reserve a tabling space at the front of the Career Connections Center to meet UF talent in a casual setting and connect with them about hiring opportunities.

Information Sessions

Information sessions are a traditional event where representatives from a company share information on company culture, hiring needs, and other pertinent information. These can be a formal presentation or an informal open house conducted on campus or virtually.

Information sessions are typically scheduled between 4 p.m. – 8 p.m., Monday – Thursday. An organization can also host an information session publicly or privately to meet recruitment needs.

All in-person Information Sessions will have a concurrent virtual component added to their event to accommodate talent unable to attend due to capacity being reached or other factors. The Career Connections Center will provide Zoom as the virtual platform for these hybrid events.

Once the Zoom link has been launched and the event is underway, the C3 staff member will make the recruiter the host of the event.
All virtual events all have a virtual kiosk created through Gator CareerLink to capture attendance data.

Employers will have the option to request the event to be recorded to be made available for future use or posting in the Gator CareerLink profile.

The Career Connections Center will provide a standard slide to employers to include in their presentation if they are planning to record the session.
Attendees will be notified ahead of the time that the session will be recorded.

Creative Custom Event

The Career Connections Center encourages employers to be innovative in their approach when connecting with students. Utilize our programming spaces to create a unique event, customized to target desired talent in a variety of formats and styles.

Some examples of past customized events for employers include:

On-Campus Interview Day Welcome Room
Candidate Welcome Breakfast
Campus Partner Lunch and Learn
Case Competitions/Hack-a-Thons

To schedule an Employer Hosted Event:

Once your GCL Account has been created, log in and click on “events” tab on the left hand
Click on “Employer Hosted Events”
Click on “+add new”
Complete the form
Click “submit”
Approval can take up to 2 business days
- This may take longer if you are requesting an event to be hosted in an academic classroom or the Reitz Union

For more questions about any of the above listed Employer Hosted Events email HireGators@ufsa.ufl.edu or call 352-392-1601.

Industry Educational Programming and Events

Engage with students outside of the traditional career fair setting to provide insight and expertise into your industry and help students develop professionally.

Skills Labs

A skills lab is a hands-on opportunity for an employer to teach students a skill related to their organization or broader career field. A skills lab is interactive and allows students to walk away with a skill while gaining an understanding of what a day in the life in that company or in that profession might look like. Some past skills labs include suture clinic, high-impact networking, and advocacy writing. Some notable employers that have facilitated skills labs include Army Medical, Infinite Energy, Brooks Rehabilitation, and Environment Florida.

Adulting 101 Workshop

One of the C3’s signature workshops, Adulting 101 is designed to educate students and hear from industry leaders on career and professional development hot topics. Connect with students on topics that range from preparing for a Career Fair to the first 90 days on a job to salary negotiation.

Project Resume

Project Resume is an opportunity for employers to assist students with their resumes during pre-showcase drop in hours and takes place the week before Career Showcase. This is a great way for employers to build their brand on-campus while helping students prepare for Showcase and other career events taking place on campus. Employers can register for multiple days and for any length of time they are willing to commit.

Industry Institutes

An Industry Institute is a great opportunity to learn from employers about their area of expertise within a specific field. Industry Institutes are an informal way for students from any major to learn from a small group of diverse employers about the career options available to students interested in a specific field. This experience might involve short skills labs, panels, Q&As, and/or networking sessions and is meant to facilitate exploration into the different types of professional roles or positions that exist within one career field. Some past industry institutes include Manufacturing, Human Resources, Environment & Sustainability, and Education. Some notable employers that participated in Industry Institutes include Teach for America, Halo Potato Donuts, Florida Conservation Corps, Child Advocacy Center, and Exactech.

To express interest in presenting for any of the above listed educational programs, please email HireGators@ufsa.ufl.edu or call 352-392-1601.

Multipurpose Event and Programming Space Information

Location	Room Number & Name	Theater Capacity	Classroom Capacity	Pod Capacity	Hollow Square Capacity	U-Shape Capacity	Technology**
Ground Level	Connections Room	113	46	44	36	30	1 PC, Screen, 1 CM
Level One	Executive Conference Room	-	-	0-10	-	-	1 PC, Screen
Level One	Exploration Room	65	30	24	28	18	1 CM, 2 PC, 2 Screen
Level One	Conference Room	50	20	16	22	16	1 PC, TV Screen
Level One	Inspiration Room	33	16	16	20	14	1 CM, 2 PC, Screen
Level One	Innovation Rooms A & B	100	56	36	36	28	2 CM, 2 PC, 2 Screen
Level One	Innovation Room A or B	50	24	20	22	16	1 PC, Screen, 1 CM
Level One	Nook Spaces	-	-	5	-	-	4 with PC

Legend and Key:
Theater Capacity = Rows of chairs
Classroom Capacity = Rows of tables and chairs (typically 2 chairs per table)
Pod Capacity = 2 tables with 4 chairs around them
Hollow Square Capacity = Square-shape (typically 2 chairs per table)
U-shape Capacity = U-shape open to the front screen (typically 2 chairs per table)

**Technology Key:

PC = Computer
Screen = Drop down screen
TV Screen = Wall-mounted TV screen as a projector screen
CM = Confidence Monitor – Screen set-up so that employer can see their presentation without having to turn around

All employer hosted event programs held within the Career Connections Center include the use of technology and dedicated staffing support from our team, as well as some Center-wide marketing efforts.

*During the week of Career Showcase each semester, reservations are limited to blocks of two hours due to the high volume of employer events.

Programming Space Descriptions

The Connections Room

This location offers complete exclusivity to the employer reserving the space. Located on the Ground Level of the center, the Connections Room includes a separate lobby and check-in area, a spacious waiting area, and is the largest of our programming spaces. The space is ideal for networking receptions, larger information or educational sessions, and is equipped with all upgraded technology. The Connections Room has the ability to be arranged in either theater or classroom seating.

Executive Conference Room

The Exploration Room

The Exploration Room boasts the ability to host a larger information session, or event, in a unique and new space. This location can be set in either a theater or classroom arrangement and comes equipped with all of our upgraded technology.

: Exploration Room – circle style

: Exploration Room – circle style

: Exploration Room – circle style

: Exploration Room – classroom style

: Exploration Room – classroom style

: Exploration Room – theater style

: Exploration Room – u-shape style

Conference Room

This meeting space is available to reserve for your smaller meetings and information sessions. The Conference Room is equipped with a computer and wall-screen to view presentations.

: Conference Room – circle style

: Conference Room – circle style

: Conference Room – theater style

: Conference Room – theater style

: Conference Room – u-shape style

: Conference Room – u-shape style

The Inspiration Room

Looking to host an information session that comes with a view of the Ben Hill Griffin Football Stadium? This is the location for your organization. This space can be arranged in either theater or classroom seating. It is equipped with updated technology and also serves as a great location to host a welcome breakfast for your On-Campus Interviews.

: Inspiration Room – circle style

: Inspiration Room – circle style

: Inspiration Room – classroom style

: Inspiration Room – classroom style

: Inspiration Room – classroom style

: Inspiration Room – classroom style

: Inspiration Room – theater style

: Inspiration Room – theater style

: Inspiration Room – u-shape style

: Inspiration Room – u-shape style

: Inspiration Room – u-shape style

Innovation Rooms A & B

One of the largest spaces in the Career Connections Center is our Innovation Room. It is the only programming space that can be split into two soundproof rooms (sections A & B), with the ability to set-up the space in different configurations, and serves as the bridge between the two other multipurpose spaces in the Center. This room has the most upgraded technology available. This is our “think outside the box” programming space for employers looking to host innovating and new programs for their recruitment efforts.

: Innovation Rooms A & B – circle style

: Innovation Rooms A & B – circle style

: Innovation Rooms A & B – circle style

: Innovation Rooms A & B – classroom style

: Innovation Rooms A & B – classroom style

: Innovation Rooms A & B – u-shape style

: Innovation Rooms A & B – u-shape style

: Innovation Rooms A & B – u-shape style

Interview Spaces

Nook Spaces

There are five nook spaces around the perimeter of the Career Connections Center and serve as ideal locations to reserve to host Coffee Chats, additional interview spaces, and open concept meetings. As these spaces are frequently used by our students, there is a fee to reserve them and guarantee that you will have access upon your arrival.

: Discovery Nook

: Impact Nook