Unity College’s annual Environmental Career Fair is the largest of its kind in New England, connecting roughly 100 companies and organizations across the region to more than 300 prospective employees and students. Many of the companies who attended the latest career fair on March 6 have been doing so for years, with several even sending Unity College alumni to talk with students.

“It’s great to see so many of our graduates return to campus in their new roles, offering our current students advice on possible career paths,” said Unity College President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury. “Our alumni are building amazing careers, and not just in what we commonly think of as ‘green economy’ jobs. More and more employers are seeing the value of a sustainability education, and our alumni are sharing that story with our current students, which is very exciting.”

At each booth, the sentiment of that value was echoed, with an emphasis on the hands-on experience Unity College graduates receive, which brings employers back year after year. Stephenie MacLagan, a 2007 Environmental Policy graduate, currently works as a natural resource economist for Island Institute. The Institute saw her hands-on, experiential education from Unity College as a benefit to them, and something that she could easily apply to her career. “Putting that on my resume and bringing that to a potential employer made for a very smooth transition from college to workforce,” MacLagan said at this year’s fair.

Three arborist representatives from Bartlett Tree Experts — Jared Smith, Joe Davis, and Noah Tucker — all acquired jobs with Bartlett right after graduating from Unity College. “The curriculum definitely helped out with all of us landing this job,” said Davis. “I actually recruited Jared twelve years ago here at the Career Fair.”

While most attending the fair sought information on possible career paths, students and prospective employees also received firsthand accounts of what life is like in the field, as well as an opportunity to develop their networking skills. Employers also offered a variety of presentations and career-related materials, including equipment, applications, videos, and personal testimonies. Some of the employers present included Appalachian Mountain Club, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, The Army National Guard, Bushy Hill Nature Center in Deep River, Conn., and many more.