ORONO – Students from 22 colleges and universities throughout Maine, including the University of Maine, have the opportunity to find employment during the second Maine Collegiate E-fair being held now through Feb. 28. The event allows students to visit virtual employer booths and submit their resumes online 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The event has the potential to open up a larger market to Maine students and graduates, because many employers will not be limited by cost and travel restraints that might keep them from participating at a live job fair. For employers, the e-fair reveals a wider range of students than might attend a live fair.

“This venue is less expensive for employers and more convenient for students,” said Sherry Treworgy, associate director of the Career Center at the University of Maine. “It’s designed to open channels of communication that may lead to follow-up calls, e-mails, interviews and jobs.”

Last year the e-fair attracted 79 employers from across the country and 277 jobs were posted.

This year’s e-fair features employment opportunities, including full-time jobs and internships, in the arts, business, communications, education, engineering, environmental entities, government, health care, law, leisure, media, nonprofit sector, parks and recreation, science, social services, technology and transportation.

The event is sponsored by the Maine Recruiting Consortium in conjunction with MonsterTrak.com. The Maine Recruiting Consortium is comprised of career services offices on the campuses of 22 of Maine’s colleges and universities. The University of Maine at Farmington is coordinating this year’s e-fair.

MonsterTrak.com is a division of the large Web job search service Monster.com. MonsterTrak.com is devoted to posting jobs and internships for current college students and recent college graduates.

The e-fair Web site, www.colby.edu/career.serv/mrc/, may be accessed by employers who wish to register for the fair or by students who wish to participate in the fair. The registration fee is $150 for profit organizations and $100 for nonprofit organizations. Participation by students is free.

Students with questions may contact the career center on their campus. University of Maine students may call 581-1359.

Employers who would like more information about the e-fair may contact Sue Ronald at 207-778-7029 or by e-mail at ronald@maine.edu.