Fordham University’s Career Center launched several career fairs in the last week, which will continue throughout the semester. Career fairs are intentionally designed to give students insight into different career paths they may be interested in, provide them resources to secure internships and eventually help lead to full-time employment opportunities. This design is set to hopefully engage students in professional development opportunities early on, so that they can set themselves up for success and distinguish themselves from other candidates.

To kick off the semester, the Career Center offered “Career-chella” for students to meet representatives from the Big 4 accounting firms: Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young and Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler. This event also included sports teams and other industry professionals. Students had the opportunity to meet with several employee representatives of these corporations, many of whom were Fordham graduates, and connect with them about their experiences, advice and tips for when application season arrives. 

Several other options are available for students this semester. While the Accounting and Finance Fair already occurred on Sept. 11, the Career Center currently looks forward to the Tech and Data Fair on Sept. 18, Humanities Day on Sept. 19, the Internship Fair on Oct. 2, the Marketing Fair on Oct. 10 and the Government, Law & Public Service Fair on Oct. 24. “Each of the fairs will have a ‘Bites & Insights’ workshop the week prior, where students can meet with an employer attending the respective fair in a casual setting with snacks for resume reviews, 30-second pitch practice and other career fair prep,” said Toni Perilli, the Career Center’s marketing and digital media communications coordinator. 

There are also several more casual meeting points for students and employers, particularly “coffee chats” to connect with recruiters, in addition to site visits coming very soon. Students are encouraged to check the Fordham University calendar, keep an eye out for emails from the Career Center and register for Handshake. 

“The Career Center’s events are not restricted to employer events, though. The “Learn Your Professional Lingo” workshop series is ideal for students who are early on their professional development track and want to walk through career basics,” said Perilli.

Perilli also gave insight into how the department develops said affairs. “Feedback is incredibly important to us, so we look at all the survey responses from our counseling sessions and previous events to see what students have asked us for,” said Perilli. Student responses to these events are critical to the department’s effectiveness, and Perelli notes how attendees should heavily consider filling out the surveys after the events. 

So far, the accounting and finance fair has received approval from students, who feel it was a great success and opportunity for first-years to meet with potential employers, getting their resumes out there. “For freshmen like us, it is an introduction into the business world,” said Antonio Pandolfo, GSB ’28. Pandolfo attended the Accounting & Finance Fair on Sept. 11, and appreciated the opportunity to mingle with future recruiters and representatives from large financial institutions. 

Many first-years are not familiar with the world of business just yet, and the fair gave more insight into the potential of the field. “It shows how competitive the business world is,” noted Emmett Gurwitch, GSB ’28. Uncertainty is not refused, but it is instead encouraged that uncertain or undecided students attend these fairs, even if they are not sure what the career is entirely about. As more of these career fairs occur throughout the year, more students will be able to voice their opinions on the events.