By LAURA SANICOLA
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
With the metropolitan hub that is Manhattan located 20 minutes from campus by train, Fordham students can truly boast that the world is at their fingertips. However, a tumultuous job market and a struggling economy do not lend themselves well to college students looking to start their careers.
(Drew DiPane/The Ram)
For Sarah Hill, GSB ’14 and an accounting major, an integral resource in her search for internships has never been more than a short walk away.
“I’ve been using Career Services since my sophomore year,” Hill said. “It has honestly been invaluable for me and my friends in preparation to enter the workforce.”
Career Services, located on the second floor of the McGinley Center, is open 9 a.m-5 p.m. every weekday. Students can attend 15-minute walk-in appointments from 1-3 p.m. for preliminary career guidance.
During the day, career counselors are available to offer assistance by directing students in their career search, conducting mock interviews, reviewing resumes and cover letters and connecting students to recruiting companies.
“Career Services helped me obtain interviews at JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley. Two of my roommates currently have internships through Career Services,” said Hill, who currently interns with special events at Fordham.
Steffany Fattor, the director of Career Services at Fordham since 2010, takes her job connecting students to employers very seriously.
“Career Services has a twofold purpose,” Fattor said. “We are here to encourage employers to recruit Fordham students, and we are also responsible for helping students be as competitive as they possibly can in the job market. This includes helping students leverage their experiences at Fordham to look competitive on paper and on an interview.”
Fattor says that the Jesuit education offered at Fordham is not only intellectually gratifying, but is highly marketable in the workforce.
“If a company is not interested in recruiting Fordham students, the odds are they are simply not hiring,” Fattor said.
The student body has varying opinions on the accessibility of Career Services. Some feel that Gabelli students receive the most access to information on career preparation and internships.
“As a Rose Hill student, I find that Career Services has a harder time reaching out to us over business students,” said Alex Whiteaker, FCRH ’14. “I only did their workshops this year because I finally knew I had to in order to access CareerLink.”
CareerLink is a website that connects students and alumni to job and internship postings in the metropolitan area. Students must complete two seminars through Career Services in order to access the site.
“It ultimately wasn’t a resource I ever ended up using here at Fordham,” Whiteaker said.
On Monday, Nov. 4, Career Services launched CareerInsights, an online tool that allows Fordham students to view where recent graduates have been employed, what their starting salaries are and what major of study they pursued at Fordham.
In the coming months, the website will include which graduate programs alumni are attending. Access to all of this information is available by logging on to Fordham.12twenty.com and making an account.
“We want students to know that every decision we make is driven by student feedback, so the more information we can get from students the more we can tailor to what they need and want,” Futtor said. “We need you to keep us updated on what jobs you are taking, how much you are making and where you are working. This information will enable us to update the next group of students as they search for employment.”
- (Drew DiPane/The Ram)
