With the Career and Internship Fair just one week away, students are busy getting ready to meet potential employers. The fair will be in the RecPlex from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8. Nearly 100 employers and representatives from graduate programs will be in attendance.
Emily McGovern, Operations Assistant at the University Career Center, shared her top tips for students as they prepare to attend. “Students should focus on having an updated resume printed on resume paper, practicing their elevator pitches and researching the employers that they want to speak with,” she said.
A list of employers and graduate programs can be found on Handshake, an online career platform geared toward Gen Z job seekers. There, students can find blurbs and listings for positions each company is looking to fill.
McGovern also noted, “In terms of talking to employers, students should remember that the employers are interested and want to meet with students.”
She continues, “Prepare a short answer to the question ‘tell me about yourself’ that encapsulates your major, your career interests and something that helps you stand out. The best thing is not to walk up to the employer knowing nothing. Do your research to be able to ask a specific question.”
McGovern also recommends bringing a folder or a padfolio to collect papers and any notes students may take after speaking with employers. The Career Center offers resources for students who are preparing for the event. Students can have their resumes printed or set up an appointment to borrow professional clothing attire from the Career Closet by emailing careers@fairfield.edu.
Megan McCurrie, a junior studying Public Relations, attended the last career fair in the spring semester. She shared, “I meandered around a lot. There weren’t a lot of opportunities for liberal arts majors. There was a lot [for] business.”
Despite this, McCurrie will be attending again. “It was a pretty positive experience. Everyone seemed pretty interested. They were really open to everyone, and it was honestly a great experience,” she said.
For this Career Fair, McCurrie is preparing by meeting with her career counselor and preparing her elevator pitch. For students who may be attending for the first time, McCurrie recommends, “Prepare 100%. Be ready, get your elevator pitch ready, and have your resume how you want it. Look the part.”
For junior Katie McCarthy, this will be her first Career Fair. Like McCurrie, she’s working on her resume and meeting with her career advisor. Still, she’s “feeling kind of unhopeful, because my major is sports media, and they don’t have a lot of options for arts and sciences. It’s a lot of business, primarily finance and accounting.”
Still, students who are in the Meditz College of Arts and Sciences have had success at the Career Fair. Juliana Fiumidinisi, a sophomore studying Politics and Psychology, landed a summer internship at a nonprofit in Bridgeport called Homes for the Brave after engaging with their booth at the fair.
Fiumudinisi shared, “I was a bit nervous for the Career Fair since I was only a [first-year], but I wanted to explore and see if I could meet some new people and make connections… I went up to every booth that interested me just to get some information. I went up to the Homes for the Brave booth and introduced myself. I had a great conversation and explained some things on my resume in more detail.”
Soon after, Fiumidinisi received an email inviting her to interview for the Communications Coordinator position at Homes for the Brave. She got the role and described it as a “very amazing experience.”
As students prepare for the Career Fair, Career Peer Advisors are hosting drop-in hours Monday from 1 to 4 p.m., and Tuesday through Thursday from 12:30 to 4 p.m. to assist with resumes, elevator pitches and preparing to talk to employers.
