News Story

2025 ACES Career Fair

Every year during the fall semester, ACES hosts a career fair for their students. This event allows students to get face-to-face time with ACES Partners to build connections and learn more about internship and job opportunities.

This year, approximately 130 ACES students attended the event. The ACES Partners present were Peraton and ManTech, both of which focus on technology, cybersecurity, and defense solutions for government and industry clients. Though not an ACES Partner organization, Ernst & Young, one of the largest accounting firms in the world, also made a special appearance. The opportunity to engage with these organizations allowed students to broaden their networking experience. Notably, one of the representatives from Ernst & Young was an ACES alum, creating a full-circle moment as a former student returned as a recruiter.

Given that the ACES Career Fair is a key event hosted by the program, we interviewed ACES student Zoey Tsai to gain insight into the student experience and how the event supported her career development.


ACES Student Experience

For Zoey, a junior studying Computer Science at the University of Maryland, attending the ACES Career Fair last year turned out to be a pivotal step in her academic and professional journey. Her participation in the fair ultimately led to an internship with the Department of Defense, where she worked as a language analyst over the summer.

As a sophomore at the time of the event, Zoey saw the ACES Career Fair as an opportunity to engage with employers in a more accessible and less crowded environment. Unlike the larger career fairs on campus, which give priority access to upperclassmen, the ACES Career Fair offered all attendees equal footing, making it easier for underclassmen like her to speak directly with recruiters without long wait times or limited windows.

To make the most of the opportunity, Zoey took a strategic approach to preparation. She carefully reviewed the list of attending companies, tailored her resume to highlight relevant cybersecurity experience, and practiced a concise introduction that communicated her interests and goals.

One interaction that stood out was with a recruiter from a federal government agency, who expressed strong interest in candidates at the freshman and sophomore levels. This was notable, as many other employers at the fair were focused primarily on juniors and seniors. The recruiter clearly explained the qualifications and resume experience they were seeking, making the path to applying more transparent.

Zoey also found Cisco Talos to be a compelling presence at the fair, particularly because of the opportunities they offer for full-time employees to work on legacy projects, an area she found technically and professionally appealing.


From Career Fair to Federal Internship

Following the fair, Zoey advanced through a behavioral interview process with the Department of Defense. The interview included questions related to her background and the interests she had emphasized in her application. She credits part of her success to the way she tailored her cover letter and elevator pitch to align with the niche focus of the program she applied to, demonstrating a thoughtful connection between her academic interests and the agency’s mission.


Blending Cybersecurity and Language

Her internship at the Department of Defense allowed her to apply both her cybersecurity knowledge and her interest in language. The role helped her see how these two areas could intersect in a meaningful way, and has since influenced her future career plans. She now intends to continue exploring fields that blend technical expertise with linguistic analysis.


Advice for Fellow Students

Reflecting on her experience, Zoey encourages other students to approach career fairs with a targeted mindset. Rather than submitting applications broadly, she recommends identifying roles and companies where a candidate’s background truly aligns with what the employer is seeking. For students who may not yet have extensive technical experience, she advises focusing on organizations that value behavioral fit and potential.


Published October 30, 2025