CEO Leadership Alliance Orange County
Fall 2025: Talent Leader Newsletter
Fall 2025: CLAOC Talent Leader Newsletter
Building OC’s Talent Pipeline Together
Fall 2025 is here—and it’s packed with opportunities to connect, inspire, and recruit the brightest emerging talent in Orange County. This newsletter is your launchpad for upcoming events, insider access, and powerful strategies to grow a talent pipeline that keeps your organization ahead of the curve.
Inside the Mind: What’s Driving Student Career Choices
The National Association of College and Employers (NACE) latest survey uncovers exactly what’s driving student career choices—and how you can align your strategies to attract top talent. Students today are looking for career experiences that deliver
•Paid, purposeful work that builds real skills and con dence.
•Professional growth in communication, teamwork, and leadership.
•Job security & a strong culture where they feel valued.
•Work-life balance with mental health and exibility at the core.
•Early connections to employers before graduation.
Get involved—whether by hosting interns, joining panels, sponsoring events, or offering micro-internships. If you have alumni eager to give back and proudly represent your company, invite them to take part in these opportunities. The time you and your team invest in a student’s career journey is truly invaluable. Every connection you make strengthens our talent pipeline and powers a thriving, innovative OC
Director, Talent Strategies & University Relations
TABLE OF CONTENTS
College Capstone Projects Give Employers an Early, Close Look at Near-to-Hire Talent
Codazen CEO Mike Merchant sees bringing on college interns as a critical capacity builder for his rm. The company is a pioneer in the Immersive Web, enabling companies to bridge the gap between traditional web experiences and immersive AR/VR environments.
Codazen often brings in college seniors to do capstone projects with the team. Working in such a leading edge eld, continuous research and development (R&D) is crucial. Students can be focused on key projects to help advance R&D while the Codazen team keeps their focus on client deliverables.
“Skilled college students were core to our early success,” Merchant shares. “As a startup we hired great interns and recent grads from UC Irvine that have gone on to amazing careers. Today, we bring in students regularly for 20-week capstone projects. They help us research and test emerging ideas and technologies in a very cost effective way.”
What is a college capstone project?
UC Irvine (UCI) de nes a capstone project as a culminating, often team-based, experience where students apply their knowledge and skills to solve real-world problems. Typically undertaken in their nal year of college, they are designed to bridge the gap between academic study and professional practice.
Students gain practical work experience within an actual company that better prepares them for jobs in their chosen elds. Employers get amazing visibility into this close-to -graduation talent pool, seeing their work rst-hand. They also get the chance to develop relationships with –and even make offers to – top candidates ahead of other companies.
In fact, I just extended an offer to one of our capstone students for a contract-to-hire position today, Merchant told us.
“Employers often underestimate the level of innovation and quality students can bring to the table,” says Franciska Castillo, Director of Talent Strategies
and University Relations at the CEO Leadership Alliance Orange County (CLAOC). “Time and again, we see companies amazed by the outcomes of a well-structured 16- to 20-week capstone project. The key is to design these projects intentionally—aligned with real business needs—so they are both meaningful for students and deliver tangible value for employers.”
How can employers ensure success with student capstone projects?
1.Be clear with your expectations and scope - Agree on speci c, measurable, and realistic goals and deliverables with the students, and the time you expect them to spend on each phase. Answer the question: “What does good look like?”
1.Map out the resources they will need for success - Determine the technical access and equipment. Even more important is who will be their points of contact through the process, and how the details of communication will happeninformal and more formal meetings and checkpoints.
2.
3.Merchant described how during busy client cycles, the staff may have less time to spend with students. So, it’s best that projects include workstreams that can be managed independently by students so work doesn’t ever stall.
Fall Career and Internship Fair
UC Irvine Division of Career Pathways is beginning the academic year with the Fall Career and Internship Fair. Anteaters from across UCI's campus and schools will attend to look for work opportunities before and after their graduation. Students will be looking for part-time, full-time, and seasonal positions.
Timeline: October 10 at 10:00am - 2:00pm
Location: UCI Student Center Registration Link
Contact: Kelly Swanholm kelly.swanholm@uci.edu
EngiTech
This year's EngiTech Engineering Career fair will be held by the UCI Samueli School of Engineering in early October. Since the University's founding, the School of Engineering has held over 50 EngiTech events that have connected top employers with their students.
When: Early/Mid-October
Location: UCI Student Center
Contact: Uni Nguyen nguyensu@uci.edu
UNIVERSITY
Timeline Location Contact
Fall STEM Career Fair
A week after the Fall Career and Internship Fair, UCI Division of Career Pathways will hold their Fall STEM Career Fair to connect students in UCI’s nationally renowned STEM programs with excellent employers in Orange County. Students from UCI’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering, Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Science, Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences, and other STEM oriented schools will attend this event looking for all kinds of employment.
October 16 at 10:00am - 2:00pm UCI Student Center Registration Link
Kelly Swanholm kelly.swanholm@uci.edu
ICS Industry Showcase
UCI Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Science's 7th Annual Industry Showcase brings to campus 30+ ICS industry partners interested in recruiting ICS undergraduate and graduate students for full-time positions and summer internships. Previous Industry Showcases have successfully built connections between Donald Bren students and local employers that continue today.
Date: October 14 and 15
Location: TBD
Contact: Mimi Anderson yangmm@uci.edu
Social Ecology Career Summit
UCI's School of Social Ecology presents its second annual Career Summit. The day-long summit will focus on developing social ecology students and alumni to help them in their professional career trajectory in criminology, psychology, law, public policy, and public administration. In addition to networking events, this event will feature workshops and presentations by faculty and leading employers in relevant elds.
Date & Time: October 15 at 8:00am - 5:00pm
Location: Irvine Barclay Theater
Contact: Mimi Cruz mkcruz@uci.edu
Merage Fall In-Person Talent Expo
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE
The Merage Fall In-Person Talent Expo will give participants the opportunity to meet students from all Merage School of Business programs. Students will be looking for part-time, full-time, and internship positions during this event in the lovely Merage School courtyard at UCI.
When: October 24 at 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Location: Merage School Courtyard
Registration: Log in or create an account for The Bridge
Contact: Kelly Swanholm kelly.swanholm@uci.edu
BioENGINE Industry Networking Night
Local employers are invited to attend the 2025 BioENGINE Industry Networking Night, a complimentary industry engagement event where medical device, biomedical, life sciences, and pharmaceutical companies have the opportunity to highlight their companies, meet, and recruit high caliber students, faculty, and physicians. Both UCI undergraduate and graduate students will be in attendance.
When: February 25, 2026 at 4:30pm - 7:00pm
Location: Division of Continuing Education (DCE), 510 East Peltason Drive, Irvine, CA 92697
Registration: Email kingce@uci.edu for RSVP yer
Contact:
Dr. Christine King, BioENGINE Director kingce@uci.edu
UCI School of Engineering Design Review
Engineering seniors in biomedical, materials science, chemical and biomolecular, civil and environmental, mechanical and aerospace, and electrical and computer science present their culminating projects as they approach graduation. The Design Review is a great opportunity for employers to not only meet future engineers, but see their work in action.
Date & Time: March 13, 2026 at TBD
Location: UCI Student Center
Contact:
Uni Nguyen nguyensu@uci.edu
UCI Winter Career and Internship Fair
UCI will hold another school-wide career and internship fair in the beginning of the new calendar year. This event will be very similar to the Fall Career and Internship Fair, and is a great opportunity for employers to nd workers closer to their graduation dates.
Date & Time: January 28, 2026 at 10:00am - 2:00pm
Location: UCI Student Center
Registration Link
Micro-Internships through ANTrepreneur Center
Looking for extra help on projects without adding to your headcount? The UCI ANTrepreneur Center and Parker Dewey connect employers with UCI students and recent graduates through short-term, paid micro-internships —typically 5–40 hours over a few days to a few weeks. Employers can nd immediate, high-quality project support with no HR or payroll hassle, while building future talent pipelines.
When: Available year-round
Location: Remote or On-site
Typical Project Cost: $200–$600
Post Your Project Today: Learn More & Get Started
Fall Career Fair
Chapman University's rst recruiting event of the academic year, the Fall Career Fair is an excellent opportunity to connect with Panthers from 125 diverse programs who are approaching graduation or ready to pursue employment in Orange County. Participating students will be looking for internships, part-time, and full-time positions.
Date & Time
Location
Contact
Date & Time Location
Contact
September 25 at 11:00am - 3:00pm
Attallah Piazza & Bert C. Williams Mall
thinkchapman rst@chapman.edu
Fall Career Networking Night
Later in the semester, Chapman's Career Networking night is designed to help students and industry professionals create a dynamic, meaningful, and long-lasting network. Participants are encouraged to share career insights, opportunities, and experiences with each other in this welcoming and engaging evening event.
October 22 at 5:30pm - 7:30pm Beckman Hall 404
thinkchapman rst@chapman.edu
Date & Time
Location
Registration
Contact
Argyros College’s Meet the Firms: Finance
Join Chapman’s Argyros College of Business and Economics in this annual premier recruiting event. Employers and students with expertise in nance will be given the opportunity to meet and develop networks over light refreshments in the George H.W. Bush Conference Center.
September 24 at 5:30pm - 8:00pm George H. W. Bush Conference Center, Beckman Hall room 404 Registration Link
Chloe Joo chjoo@chapman.edu
Part-Time and Seasonal Job Fair
CSUF's Part-Time Seasonal Job Fair is perfect for employers looking for part-time or short-term talent. Many Titans attending this fair are looking for work to do concurrent with their education or during the summer months. Similar to other events listed here, the Part-Time Seasonal Job Fair is an excellent opportunity to meet future Orange County workers.
Date & Time
Location
Registration
Date & Time
Location
Registration
September 11 at 3:00pm - 5:30pm
TSU Pavilions
Registration Link
Fall 2025 Internship and Career Expo
Call State Fullerton's recruitment events continue this year with their Fall 2025 Internship and Career Expo. The Internship and Career Expo will include employers and students from a wide variety of elds of expertise looking for internships and full-time employment.
October 2 at 3:00pm - 5:30pm
CSUF TSU Pavilions
Registration Link
Fall 2025 Business Career Fair
Over 800 students attended previous Business Career Fairs, and CSUF’s College of Business and Economics expects a similar or larger turnout this year. This event is designed for students and employers in business oriented elds speci cally. Students will be looking for internships, part-time, and full-time employment in business oriented positions.
Date & Time: September 24 at 2:30pm - 5:30pm
Location: CSUF TSU Pavilions
Registration Link
Contact:
Kate Guerrero kguerrero@fullerton.edu
Jon Sera n jonsera n@fullerton.edu
STEM Internship & Career Expo
CSUF will be holding a STEM Internship and Career Expo for employers looking for talent in STEM elds. Titans from CSUF's colleges of Engineering and Computer Science, Health and Human Development, and Natural Sciences and Mathematics will be looking for internships, part-time, and full-time employment.
Date & Time: October 16 at 3:00pm - 5:30pm
Location: CSUF TSU Pavilions
Registration Link
Contact:
Leilani Landin llandin@fullerton.edu
Business Career Fair
Cal State Fullerton’s Business Career Services invites your organization to participate in the Business Career Fair. With over 800 students attending last year, it's an excellent opportunity to connect with highly motivated undergraduate and graduate students from the College of Business and Economics, home to over 11,000 students across 19 academic concentrations.
Date & Time
Location
Registration
Contact
Date & Time
Location
Registration
September 24, 2025, 2:30-5:30pm
Titan Student Union, Cal State Fullerton
Registration Link
recruitbusiness@fullerton.edu
Engineering and Computer Science Fair
CSUF will host a specialized career fair for their engineering and computer science students in late February of the new year. Students will be specialized in elds including civil, environmental, computer, electrical, mechanical, and software engineering. They will be looking for internships, part-time, and full-time work.
February 2, 2026 at 3:00pm - 5:30pm
CSUF TSU Pavilions
Registration Link
