Opportunities Conference Career Conversations
Registration for 2026 Career Conversations is open to Alumnae, Parents of Barnard Students, and Friends of the College
(Alumnae, Parents of Barnard Students, and Friends of the College can click here to register to participate; employers looking to recruit at the Conference should click here)
The format of the Barnard Opportunities Conference is one of the most distinctive aspects of the event. Traditional career fairs have won a reputation as being transactional, stressful, and overwhelming (not to mention, for the most part, unhelpful). In place of long lines and short interactions, Barnard in 2023 launched a new model that aimed to facilitate better interactions between visiting guests and students. Students have the chance to learn about opportunities and career paths from visiting employers, graduate institutions, and alumnae of the College. They pre-schedule 25-minute small group conversations (up to 8 students at a time) with visiting employers, alumnae, parents, and other friends of the College.
The result? A more productive, supportive, and useful event for all attendees! Questions? Email beyondbarnard@barnard.edu.
Students must register to attend the Conference before signing up to meet with our guests. Student conference registration will open in August, including bios of participating alumnae, descriptions of participating employers and schools, and full details on how to sign up for conversations.
Understanding the Format of Career Conversations
There are three types of Career Conversations students will be able to register for at the Opportunities Conference.
- Career Conversations with Employers:
Career Conversations with Employers will be focused on sharing information about their company, hiring opportunities available, and getting to know you. In each 25-minute slot, small groups of students will have the chance to speak to up to two representatives from each organization at the Conference.
- Career Conversations with Alums:
Career Conversations with Alums will be focused on exposing students to the variety of professional pathways out there by hearing the stories and advice of Barnard alums working in a wide assortment of roles, sectors, and organizations. Small groups of students will have the chance to meet with individual alums in 25-minute slots.
- Career Conversations with Graduate Schools:
Career Conversations with Graduate Schools will focus on sharing information about their programs and institutions and answering your questions as interested or prospective future or current applicants. Small groups of students will have the chance to meet with graduate program representatives in 25-minute slots.
Students who sign up to attend the Conference will be asked to pre-schedule slots. During the final hour of the Conference, employers will be available for unscheduled walk-ins. Walk-ins will also be allowed for unfilled slots on the day of the event, but we strongly recommend that students sign up beforehand to secure their slots! Time slots will start at :00 and :30: during each hour. In each slot, up to eight students will have the chance to speak to an employer or alum in a small group.
Information specific to students and employers/alums is below. You can also send questions to beyondbarnard@barnard.edu.
Online registration for Career Conversations is now open. Employers, alums, and graduate school representatives will have lists of students who sign up for slots and will track attendance and follow-through. To register for career conversations, register for the Opportunities Conference on Handshake, and then check your confirmation email for the link to sign up for Career Conversations.
Registrations for slots will close on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 24 to ensure organizers have time to finalize logistics.
If you have questions about how to take advantage of Career Conversations, how to prepare, etc., please consult the student FAQ! You can also email beyondbarnard@barnard.edu.
Career Conversations are Beyond Barnard's revision of the "main event" at our Opportunities Conference. Instead of traditional tables, where students wait in lines for quick conversations with employers, we've moved to a model where students pre-schedule 25-minute conversations held in small groups of up to 8 students at a time.
The advantages:
- Students can know with certainty that they have reserved time with employers, alums and graduate school representatives can prepare for conversations. Beyond Barnard will deploy helpful messages to students in advance of the conference with tips on how to do their homework in advance).
- Employers, alums, and graduate school representatives will similarly have confidence that they will not be overrun with student demand — and conversely, Beyond Barnard can promote under-subscribed slots to students to ensure that all participants are satisfied with the number of candidates/students with whom they interact.
What Employers, Alums, and Graduate School Representatives Can Expect
- Arrival and Breakfast: Employers and Graduate School Representatives will have the ability to set up their tables beginning at 9:30AM on Friday, September 25. We want to dissuade employers and graduate schools from bringing traditional career/graduate school fair setups, and instead focus on printed collateral that can easily be shared with students on the day of the Conference. Alums should plan to be at their tables by 9:50AM. Lunch will be available for employers, alums, and graduate school representatives.
- Career Conversation Logistics: The first session of Career Conversations session begins at 10AM and will last 25-minutes, with 5 minutes between to allow for rotation. Everyone will have a pre-scheduled 30-minute break as part of your planned schedule for the day. Each 25-minute session will have up to 8 students. The second session of Career Conversations begins at 1:30PM and concludes at 3PM.
- Student Sign-In and Rotations: Students will check into the Conference and will be directed to your tables. Each alum/employer/graduate school table will have a hard copy of the schedule for the day, listing students who have pre-scheduled conversations for each slot. Please note that a limited number of walk-ins may be allowed in order to help facilitate crowd flow and direct additional candidates/students to employers and alums and we have held the 2:30-3PM slot for walk-ins only. Each table will have a QR code on it. Students will be responsible for scanning the QR code. This will indicate that they have visited your table during the conference.
- Flow/Goal of Sessions: Employers, alums, and graduate school representatives can run each session as they wish. We recommend employers provide a quick overview of yourself and your organization, including any specific jobs or internships that you know might be available to students. Graduate school representatives should provide an overview of the program(s) you are promoting and your institution overall. Alums should share an overview of their pathway from Barnard to your current role and organization. Students will be advised that they should be ready to introduce themselves, and to ask you a few questions about your organization, work, industry, and graduate programs (as relevant).
- Staff Support: Beyond Barnard staff will be assigned to each room in which Career Conversations are taking place. They will be present to facilitate crowd flow, assign walk-ins to open slots, and ensure that students move on from tables after the conclusion of each session.
Questions about the format can be directed to beyondbarnard@barnard.edu.