Friday, September 19, 2025
By: Olivia Wilson
A record 398 job seekers attended the University of Florida M.E. Rinker, Sr. School of Construction Management Fall Career Fair this past Tuesday at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. The fair reached full capacity with 109 companies in attendance, connecting students with recruiters and potential employers.
“The Rinker Career Fair to me personally is the biggest alumni get-together,” said Rinker School Director Robert F. Cox. “We are in our 90th year as a school and program, and we have had continuous 100% job placement. That is why people are here.”
This year’s fair attracted companies from 10 states outside of Florida, including Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Vermont. More than 350 recruiters attended, many of them UF alumni.
Among them was Emily Ellingsen, a 2023 graduate of UF’s sustainability and the built environment program and a 2024 graduate of the master’s program in sustainable development. She now works as a project manager and sustainability coordinator for Eagle Construction in Henrico, Virginia.
“When you are being recruited as a student, you can feel intimidated and unsure of how to approach people who are already successful,” Ellingsen said. “Being on the other side, freshly out of college, it’s not as nerve-wracking. It’s easier to be personable with the students.”
Monica Miller, a 2019 Rinker graduate, also returned to recruit.
“Hands-on training, classroom interactions and the availability of resources at UF set students apart,” Miller said. “The University of Florida makes sure these students have as much metric success as possible, thanks to the resources they offer.”
The largest event in its history also drew the most non-Rinker students to date, with students from the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, Warrington College of Business, and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. In addition, students from Santa Fe College and Florida Gulf Coast University traveled to campus to participate.
For many students, the fair is a proven pathway to career success. Gavin Orme, a third-year Rinker student, has already secured three internships through the fair, including his most recent role with DeAngelis Diamond.
“Rinker has given me the tools and resources to be prepared,” Orme said. “From resume workshops to interview practice, everything I’ve learned here has helped me feel confident when I walk into the career fair.”
