The University of Texas at Arlington School of Social Work will host a career fair on Thursday, Nov. 19, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Social Work and Smart Hospital Building Commons Area.
The Career Fair gives social work students a chance to connect with employers, explore career opportunities, and take the next step in their professional journey. The fair will host over a dozen organizations, nonprofits and some of the School’s practicum partners, ranging in career pathways, such as mental wellness, healthcare, family services, education and aging.
"We really wanted to get a different scope of areas; we didn't want all of the same areas, so that our students can see all the different kinds of sectors that you can go into in social work," said Elizabeth Tejada, Program Director of Alumni Relations and Community Outreach at the UTA School of Social Work.
"I feel like a lot of times, with our students or with different people, when they think of social work, they think of Child Protective Services, or they think of just nonprofits," Tejada said. "We really want to get them involved with seeing that you can go into healthcare or you can work with mental or behavioral health, or we're trying to get some organizations more involved in, like, government services, and also gerontology and aging as well."
A UTA student poses with the "Mav Up!" hand sign at the 2026 School of Social Work Welcome Back Event. (Photo by Doughlas Gutierrez)
Selected organizations were also prioritized based on available jobs.
Hollie Yang, Director of Student Engagement at the UTA School of Social Work, said the fair aligns with the School's goals in the latest strategic plan: increasing job placements for graduating students.
"While our intended audience for our career fair is graduating students to help with job placement, it is open to all students to be able to attend and learn about the different employment opportunities that they could look forward to," Yang said.
Tejeda said this opportunity matters not only for students but for community partners as well. She often receives requests about how they can connect with students directly to provide resources or whether there are any students she knows that are looking for jobs.
"I think this is a really great initiative that we can get them here in person talking to our students directly so that they can get them that information and it's not a third party," Tejeda said.
Prior to exploring the career fair, students can participate in a prep session from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in SWSH 132. The session will provide students with time to review resumes and learn from alumni, faculty and staff prior to the fair.
"We'll have stations where students can prepare for the career fair by getting practical advice," Yang said. "We're hoping this will help in instilling a sense of confidence for students, have that 'elevator pitch,' to be able to talk about their skill sets when they are interacting with different agencies."
Students will leave not only with knowledge of new opportunities, but also with networking experiences that could impact their future careers.
"Students should see this as an opportunity to put their best foot forward," Yang said. "I've heard that when the career fair was hosted in the past, there were opportunities for on-the-spot interviews. While it's not guaranteed, we're hoping this'll be a possibility for students since we prioritized those who are actively hiring."
The full list of employers from the fair, along with connections to community partners and agencies with job opportunities, will be shared with all registered students regardless of fair attendance.
"I think it's really great to prepare yourself now and just put yourself out there," Tejeda said. "Nothing is guaranteed, but just go and talk to people. Give them your resume, just make your name known, and you never know what's going to happen."
RSVP: https://bit.ly/4zvpsBM. For accommodations, contact sswengage@uta.edu.