Career Fair Information for Employers

Message from the Dean

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy, welcome to annual Career Fair! The opportunity for you to interact with our students, to educate them about employment opportunities, and to provide information and resources to explore their career options is invaluable.

Our students are interested in entering the challenging and rewarding world of pharmacy as practicing professionals, as trained researchers and educators in the pharmaceutical, social, and clinical sciences.

We look forward to our students continuing our traditions of excellence and innovation by exploring and forging new relationships as professional colleagues across the state.

On Wisconsin!

portrait of Dean Steve Swanson
Steven M. Swanson, PhD
Dean and Professor

About the Career Fair

Career Fair 2026

Pharmacy students manning the check-in table await attendees

Date: October 17, 2026 | 10:00am-3:30pm
Format: In-person | UW–Madison campus
Registration: $200 per booth (plus 2.5% fee if paying via credit card)

The $200 registration fee includes: one 8′ booth at the Career Fair, up to two parking permits, and refreshments. Proceeds from this event directly support School of Pharmacy student organizations.

Why Attend our Career Fair?

A large crowd of students visits booths at the career fair

As one of the top ranked programs in the nation, the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy trains outstanding student pharmacists.

All 450 of our Doctor of Pharmacy students are required to attend the Career Fair, so you will have the opportunity for many meaningful interactions with students in various stages of their pharmacy education.

Career Fair Timeline

Wednesday, July 1: Registration opens in Handshake.

Friday, October 2: Registration closes* and refund requested deadline.

  • Note: In recent years, all booths have filled before this deadline. We anticipate reaching capacity again this year, so don’t wait to register!

Friday October 16: Career Fair event occurs from 10:00am-3:30pm.

Register for the Career Fair

An employer answers questions for two pharmacy students at the career fair

Register for the Career Fair through Handshake, UW–Madison’s career services platform.

Preparing to Attend

We are pleased to help you plan your visit to the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy Career Fair! Below are important details regarding your campus visit. Please contact our Career Services team with any questions:

Chelsea Wimmer, Career Services Manager  |  chelsea.wimmer@wisc.edu  |  608-263-4979

Lindsey Weigel, Career Services Support  |  lindsey.weigel@wisc.edu  |  608-262-6234

Interacting with Students

A fourth year pharmacy student chats with a representative at the career fair

Attendance at the Career Fair is mandatory for all PharmD students. Each cohort of students is assigned a start time to enter the Career Fair. The start times are intervals of approximately 60-90 minutes, but students may attend the Career Fair for longer than that.

The day prior to the Career Fair, called the Career Development Day, offers each cohort of students career programming tailored to their year in the program. The Career Fair provides an opportunity for all students to think and talk about their career goals, practice their career-related skills (e.g.,  elevator speech, networking) by connecting with a variety of organizations, and learn more about future educational and/or employment opportunities. Specific discussion suggestions for each cohort of students are provided before the Career Fair.

Please note that in addition to the Career Fair, additional opportunities to connect with students throughout the year include the Fall Interview Day and Spring Interview Day. Employers can also post jobs in Handshake at any time. Learn more about these opportunities on the PharmD Employer Resources page.

Booth Materials

The registration fee includes one 8′ table. Organization-branded tablecloths are encouraged. You may not distribute gifts or other “swag” items (e.g., bags, keychains, trinkets) to students. Informational pamphlets/handouts about your organization are acceptable. Approximately 450 students attend the Career Fair. Please use your discretion when planning what materials to bring.

Most organizations choose to bring their booth materials with them on the day of the Career Fair. Student volunteers will be available on the day of the Career Fair to help unload items prior to parking.

Representatives may choose to mail their materials prior to the Career Fair. If choosing this option, please coordinate with Chelsea Wimmer prior to mailing your materials.

Accommodations

If you (or any of organization’s representatives) have a disability and desire accommodation, please inform Chelsea Wimmer as soon as possible. Requests are confidential.

Lodging

There are several off-campus hotels that are convenient to Rennebohm Hall and downtown Madison:

Policies

UW–Madison has created Employer Recruiting Policies to foster an equitable recruitment experience for all UW–Madison students and to make recruiters’ efforts to attract talented students fair and efficient. Review the policies to find a description of the structure of career services at UW–Madison, the professional and legal standards that ground recruiting activities on campus, and a list of policies governing recruiting activities.

Visiting Campus

Bird's eye view of central campus, including Chadbourne Hall, Science Hall, Bascom Hill, and Van Hise Hall, with Picnic Point in the distance

If you are interested in exploring campus and/or Madison before or after the Career Fair, you may wish to use these links to help plan your visit: