Navigating Your Future: A Comprehensive Guide to Fairfield University Career Services

Fairfield University is committed to supporting its students and alumni in their career development journeys. Recognizing career development as a continuous process extending beyond graduation, the university offers a wide array of resources and personalized guidance to help individuals explore career paths, build essential skills, and achieve their professional goals.

Comprehensive Support System

The University Career Center and School Centers provide career staff who work with undergraduate and graduate students, as well as alumni. These dedicated professionals are committed to helping Stags throughout their career development process and encouraging students to explore all of the University's career offerings.

Data-Driven Insights: Graduate Student Outcomes Report

Every year, the Career Center releases a Graduate Student Outcomes Report. This report provides a summary of post-graduation activities based on surveys completed by Fairfield graduate students within six months of graduation. It offers valuable insights into career paths and opportunities pursued by recent graduates, aiding current students in their own planning.

Tailored Support within the Meditz College of Arts and Sciences

As students proceed through their academic journey, the John Charles Meditz College of Arts and Sciences Office of Career and Professional Development offers advising, counseling, programming, and experiential opportunities. These resources are designed to help students discover their strengths, explore career paths, and build essential skills needed to succeed in their professional career. The office provides holistic, individual support to all Fairfield Meditz students by offering one-on-one career counseling appointments.

Fairfield Meditz's Office of Career and Professional Development also offers a myriad of career resources, including the "Plan Your Path" guide. Alumni play an active role in the career development of current students, offering valuable insights and networking opportunities. Within Fairfield Meditz, the goal is to ensure that students leave Fairfield not only prepared to excel in the world of work, but equipped with the necessary skills and experience to be the most desirable graduates available. To accomplish this goal, Fairfield Meditz focuses on career readiness through the acquisition of eight NACE Career Readiness Competencies.

Key Resources and Platforms

Stags4Hire

Stags4Hire serves as Fairfield University's primary job and internship posting resource. New jobs are posted every week. Alumni seeking new employment opportunities can utilize Stags4Hire Alumni for their job search needs.

Experience Alumni

To facilitate alumni professional connections, Fairfield has partnered with Experience Alumni, a career management tool used by more than 500 colleges and universities. This platform allows alumni to connect with each other, share career advice, and explore job opportunities.

InterviewPrep

The Career Center offers an effective online resource to help students and alumni prepare for employment interviews. InterviewPrep allows you to practice your interview skills by going through a realistic interview experience answering challenging questions based on the type of interview you select. The software records you as you respond to the questions and then loads your mock interview into your own personal InterviewPrep account. You can then review it and send it to someone else to review.

Career Coaching

Expert career coaches provide personalized guidance at every stage of the job search. Students can meet with coaches during drop-in hours or by appointment to receive tailored advice and support.

New Level Work

Graduate students have an exclusive opportunity to access New Level Work, a leadership development & coaching platform designed to enhance their leadership skills and career prospects.

Read also: Fairfield Career Guide

Dolan School of Business Career Development

The Dolan School of Business offers a robust career development program designed to prepare students for success in the business world.

Professional-in-Residence (PIR) Program

The Dolan School of Business Professional-in-Residence (PIR) program invites highly accomplished leaders from the public, private, or nonprofit sectors to enrich the academic environment by sharing their professional expertise.

Experiential Learning

Dolan students have the opportunity to explore potential career paths through site visits to leading companies, including Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, PwC, and others. These visits provide valuable insights into different industries and career options. Dolan students have access to a wide range of internship and job opportunities through exclusive platforms and networks.

Career Readiness Seminar (CRS)

A graduation requirement for all business students, the Career Readiness Seminar (CRS) : BUSN 1500 is designed to complement coursework by building essential skills for career success.

Workshops and Events

Fairfield’s Dolan Career Development Center offers a variety of workshops, training sessions, and employer events every week during the academic year. These events provide opportunities to learn about different industries, network with employers, and develop essential career skills.

Networking Opportunities

Students can build strong networks by developing the skills and tools to connect with professionals confidently. The Dolan Career Development Center provides resources and training to help students effectively network with employers, alumni, and industry professionals.

Employer Engagement

On-Campus Recruiting

On-campus recruiting takes place throughout the academic year. The Career Center uses Stags4Hire to coordinate the campus recruiting process, allowing employers to review applicant resumes continuously up to the application deadline and set up the interview schedule. Employers interested in arranging on-campus interview dates are encouraged to contact Sandra Toth as soon as possible at (203) 254-4000.

Interview Preparation Sessions

Interview preparation sessions are usually scheduled the evening before the recruiting date and are open to the students who have been selected to interview.

Employer Exploration Days and Site Visits

Employers can share information about their organization at Employer Exploration Days (on campus) or Stags in the City professional site visits.

Ethical Standards and Practices

Fairfield University is a proud member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and adheres to all NACE recruiting standards and practices. The Dolan Career Development Center is committed to maintaining professional standards in recruiting and career development as set forth by NACE. These standards are the benchmark of the profession. Fairfield University also abides by NACE’s Principles for Ethical Professional Practice. Employers requesting access to students through the services of the Dolan Career Development Center are expected to abide by these principles, which may be reviewed at principles for employment professionals.

Fairfield Dolan does not discriminate against students on the basis of sex, race, color, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, or disability or handicap in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment policies, and scholarship programs. When extending employment offers, "Employment professionals will refrain from any practice that improperly influences and affects job acceptances. Such practices may include undue time pressure for acceptance of employment offers and encouragement of revocation of another employment offer."

Steps to Maximize Career Development

The Career Center can help at every stage of a student’s career development. Here are some steps students can take to maximize their career development:

Start working on a resume.
Get involved in campus activities.
Work towards a great GPA.
Keep your social media sites professional and set appropriate privacy settings.
Take one or all of the “self-assessment inventories” such as the Myers-Briggs, Strong Interest Inventory, or Strengths.
Work toward a leadership role in a club or organization.
Start planning for internships.
Attend a Stags4Hire workshop.
Start networking.
Meet with a Career Counselor to further develop your resume.
Upload your resume to Stags4Hire for summer internships.
Develop tailored cover letters for each position you apply to.
Attend workshops sponsored by the Career Center or your school.
Maintain a professional presence on social media sites.
Be proactive in the job, graduate school, or post-grad service search and be aware of deadlines.
Follow up on all applications.
Identify people who will be your references.
Maintain a professional presence on social media sites.

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