It’s not every day at Fairfield University that students have easy access to major corporations in the Tri-State area like GE Energy Financial Services, Traveler’s and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, right on campus.
On Wednesday, Sept. 27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a Career Fair set up at the Leslie C. Quick, Jr. Recreation Complex. Over 140 companies will be in attendance such as, Indeed, Ipsos, Prosek Partners, Subway World Headquarters and Synchrony Financial.
This fair is open for students of all majors and according to Dierdre Bennett, manager of employer development at the Academic and Career Development Center, there will be a wide variety of companies that have opportunities for everyone. She noted that despite the fact that many of the businesses present at the fair are geared toward students with either engineering, finance or accounting majors, many of these companies may also appeal to students with humanities majors. Bennett explained that “even the financial companies say one of the most important things is students or new hires that can write well,” so students with majors in English, History, Social Sciences and many other liberal arts concentrations may also find organizations that are interested in networking with them.
Bennett also emphasized the fact that not only is the event open to students of all majors, but it’s also encouraged for students from all classes to attend. Despite the fact that underclassmen may be intimidated to attend an event geared toward networking and searching for a career after college, Bennett noted that “it’s never too early to start planning for your career.”
One major difference between this year’s Career Fair from previous years is that the fair will also host non-profit companies in addition to the usual for-profit organizations present, Bennett said. In past years, there has been a separate fair for non-profit companies, but this year, the two are being combined. Some of the nonprofits that will be present at the fair include the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo and Save the Children.
Bennett stressed the importance of students coming prepared to the Career Fair, as this is a good opportunity for them to make a memorable first impression with potential future employers. She noted that students should come to the event looking presentable and have several copies of their resume on hand to give to employers. It is also useful to bring a notebook to write down companies that you will want to get into contact with or a folder to collect business cards, according to Bennett.
Many upperclassmen who attended the Career Fair during their time at Fairfield viewed it as a beneficial experience to gain exposure into what companies are in the area for potential employment. Senior Stephen Dierks, a marketing major, commented that the Career Fair is “a great way for Fairfield students to learn more about the incredible companies in the area and gain important experience interacting with recruiters.”
However, Alyssa Vigorito ‘19, an English major, feels that there aren’t enough options at the Career Fair for students with her major. “I have found that there aren’t many employers at the Career Fair that I’d typically gravitate toward. The fair brings in a lot of business firms and superlative organizations, but personally, every time I attend the Career Fair I leave empty-handed.”
If students want to learn more about the upcoming Career Fair, there will be a prep meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 20 from 4 to 5 p.m. to get more information about the fair as well as how to prepare, Bennett noted. At the meeting, students will learn more about what to wear, how to network and how to make a great first impression when communicating with future employers, according to OrgSync. This event will take place in the Kelley Center Presentation Room and is hosted by the Academic and Career Development Center.
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