No resumes, no pressure: ‘Babes University’ brings a new kind of job fair to Stony Brook

There’s no resume drop-off table, no forced small talk, no pressure to walk away with a job offer. For Long Island’s next generation of businesswomen, networking is getting a makeover.

Stony Brook University this Saturday will host Long Island’s first “Babes University,” a one-day networking event built to give young women career guidance without the stress of a traditional job fair.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bauman Center for Leadership and Service on the Stony Brook campus, female students ages 15 to 25 from across Long Island are invited in for mentorship, connection and career exploration.

Attendees will connect directly with more than a dozen curated mentors in a “Mentor Marketplace,” covering diverse industries like law, publishing, and the creator economy. The main stage features panels and two fireside chats.

Participants will be able to shop local woman-owned vender tables, enjoy lunch and matcha, and take home a professional headshot to up their resume game.

“It’s really centered on networking and connecting,” said Julia Heming, senior director of Babes University, the group behind the event.

Babes University organizers said the event is designed to revolutionize how the next generation of Long Island’s talent approaches their future, offering an alternative to traditional, and often stressful, career events.

“We designed the day to be fun and girly, but still focused on education and connection,” Heming said. “Traditional job fairs can be stressful because the goal is to leave with a job or an interview.”

Instead, Babes University “focuses on the possibilities that exist for you,” she added.

The inspiration for Babes University stems from a recognition that today’s young women, particularly Gen Z, facing unique challenges in a quickly evolving world. Heming originally connected with the Babes in Business team in January,

“I wanted to do something to educate the next generation,” said Heming, noting that as a Stony Brook alumna, the event is close to her heart.

Her goal was to create something different and engaging, a premise built on opportunities to learn and to grow. With a community boasting 17,000 followers on social media and more than 100 members, Babes in Business hosts events all across Long Island.

“We support a wide range of professionals, from hair stylists to attorneys, online stores to brick and mortar, coaches to physical therapists,” Fasano said, adding that many of these woman business owners are “accidental entrepreneurs,” or people who turn a passion into a business without formal training.

“Babes U is an opportunity for girls to see what’s available in a non-intimidating way,” she said. “These conversations are hard and there’s not a lot of outside opportunity to see what’s out there for them.”

The event’s organizers said Babe University will allow young women to meet other established women — from all different career paths — and show them that there are options out there for them.

“Whether you want to go from high school to college to a job, or high school to a trade, or high school to building a community, it’s OK that your path looks different than your peers,” Heming said. “There’s no one right way to do adulting, no one right way to do your career.”

“It’s going to be a really fun day,” Heming said. “Instead of being an event that is so focused on ‘I need a job,’ and the pressure that comes with that, it’s a day to enjoy yourself and connect with people around you.”

Click here for tickets to the “Babes University” event Sept. 19 at Stony Brook University.

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