The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is helping students turn education into employment through hands-on career connections. On October 22, the Mānoa Career Center’s fall internship fair transformed the second floor of the Campus Center into a bustling hub of opportunity as students networked with 12 employers—with a strong record of hiring UH graduates—offering paid internships.
“We want students to feel confident about their options,” said Mānoa Career Center Director Wendy Sora, who emphasized the importance of linking students with a robust network of industry partners in both public and private sectors.
That approach resonated with students such as senior computer science major Devin Etscheit, who gained valuable insight into standing out in a competitive job market. He appreciated advice to quantify his projects when applying for positions, highlighting outcomes and teamwork.
“Especially as someone with no experience, if you are trying to get an internship, you want to gear your projects towards specific companies,” Etscheit said.
Build connections early
Employers at the fair shared the same vision—help students prepare for high-quality, well-paying careers. Tradewind Group Talent Acquisition Specialist Alec Kimura stressed the importance of building connections early.
“Especially being here in Hawaiʻi, it’s so important to make these connections early on, even if it doesn’t result in an immediate job or an immediate internship,” Kimura said. “If you can at least talk to people, make these connections, start these conversations with people, who knows—a year, five, 10 years down the line, it could pay dividends.”
Kimura added that the technical skills will come with time.
“But teaching somebody how to be coachable, how to show up with a good attitude, how to be calm is very difficult,” he said.
Internship fairs are part of UH’s larger Workforce Development initiatives, a core pillar of the UH System’s Strategic Plan to prepare students for Hawaiʻi’s most in-demand, good-paying jobs.
