Career Planning Services

Available to all majors

Individual Counseling
Develop your personal career plan with a counselor. Whether you are headed for the job market, graduate school or service work, you need to begin planning well before senior year. Speak with a counselor as early as your first year so that you have your entire four years develop the skills and experiences required to successfully break into your chosen field and discuss choosing a major. If you plan to go to graduate school, you should also work closely with your faculty advisor. As for service work, Campus Ministry sponsors the "Choice Program" which helps students identify post graduate volunteer options.

Career Assessment
The Strong Interest Inventories and Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator are available to all Fairfield University students. These tools can help students explore various career options and gain more information about themselves which helps develop career focus.

Resume Writing/Resume Books
Even if you are not seeking full-time employment after completing your studies at Fairfield, chances are you will still need a resume when applying for graduate school. A counselor will help you develop your resume to highlight your skills and experience.

We publish resume books for those students who are in their Junior or Senior year. These books are mailed to over 200 organizations to assist them in filling their hiring needs. The Junior Book is for Summer Internship programs while the Senior Book is primarily for permanent hire. These publications have helped students get their resumes circulated and obtain job interviews.

Interview Training
Whether you are seeking an internship, full-time employment after graduation or admission to graduate school, you will have a series of interviews. Learn how to research organizations and present yourself to assure your success. Workshops are offered which address the interview process and how to prepare for it. "Practice interviewing" with alumni, mentors and recruiters is available as well.

Career Panels
Over 100 employers, alumni, and friends of Fairfield volunteer to participate in 14 career panels during the Fall semester and discuss career options with you. The career panels cover industries that do not recruit on campus. Many hire through internships, part-time jobs or referrals. Panelists provide students with advice and suggestions about their career field and how these organizations hire and give a "real world" perspective about work. All students are welcome to attend.

Graduate School Panels
Directors of Graduate Admissions Offices, and alumni who have attended graduate school, give informal presentations on the graduate admissions process. They discuss what admissions committees look for as they review applicants and career options after completing the program. Open to all students.

Law School Presentations/ Medical School Presentations
Directors of Admissions host separate informational sessions about the characteristics of their programs and discuss the application procedures at their schools. Seniors, Juniors and Sophomores are encouraged to attend.

Employer Presentations
Organizations that recruit at Fairfield have open information sessions to discuss employment opportunities within the company. It's a great way to find out about careers with specific employers and to meet with recruiters involved in the hiring process. These presentations are open to all students and all majors. We especially encourage Juniors and Seniors to participate.

Career Resources Library
The collection includes access to the internet which provides profiles on regional and national employers,corporate annual reports, graduate school reference guides, law school bulletins, and career reference materials on various career fields.

Job Postings/Internships
Fairfield University is located in one of the country's most densely populated corporate areas. As a result, the Career Planning Center receives numerous employment opportunities available to all students. Last year alone, over 1400 full-time opportunities were received from national and local employers. Listings are available at the Career Library or on our Job Database.

Numerous credit internship opportunities are available to qualified juniors or seniors. Information is available through the Faculty Internship Coordinators Office. Part-time paid jobs are available to all students through the CPC on line job database. Students are encouraged to take advantage of these opportunities to gain career related experience.

Campus Recruiting
Approximately 130 employers including major NYC financial services firms, management consulting and marketing companies conduct initial interviews for post graduation employment. In addition, approximately 35 employers recruit on campus to hire Juniors for summer employment. Interviewing begins in early October through December and during February and March. Both Seniors and Juniors should attend September Orientations to take advantage of this service.

Scheduling Campus Interviews

Employers interested in arranging campus interviewing dates are encouraged to phone (203) 254-4081 or e-mail fberry@mail.fairfield.edu.

During the initial contact, you will be asked to consider setting up an on-campus presentation date approximately 1 month in advance of your recruiting date. Presentations are open to all students giving them an opportunity to meet you and learn more about your organization. Because space is limited, presentations should be scheduled in June or July for the fall recruiting, or October or November for the spring.

You may wish to schedule an Information Session the evening prior to the interview date to meet the candidates you selected for interviews. Employers find this convenient in answering general questions about their organizations and specifics about the position they are seeking to fill.

Finally, you will be asked to send us company information along with the job description(s). We also need to know the number of interview schedules and rooms you anticipate you will need.

The staff of the Career Planning Center is very accessible to employers. We will do whatever we can to make your Fairfield recruiting visit a success.