Dear Arts & Letters students,
The thought of going to a career fair gives many A&L students anxiety. You're not sure which employers to talk to, you're worried they're only interested in business students, or you're nervous your resume isn't in perfect shape.
This year, however, the Fall Career Fair is entirely virtual — which really levels the playing field for everyone in Arts & Letters. You can sign up for 10-minute, one-on-one appointments with recruiters, as well as group sessions where you can learn more about a company and how to engage with their recruiting efforts. There are no long lines, no other noise surrounding you — just the chance for you to talk to your potential future employer about why you might be a good fit for them.
I can't stress enough how valued your liberal arts degree makes you in the world. Organizations are looking for people who can think creatively, communicate well, and work with others. The coronavirus pandemic has obviously made the career fair and hiring in general quite different. Companies are unsure of the future just like you are, but great employers are always looking for talented individuals — so sign up and see what happens!
The fair is on Sept. 15, but registration for individual and group sessions begins at 6 a.m. Tuesday (Sept. 1) for seniors, Wednesday (Sept. 2) for juniors, Thursday (Sept. 3) for sophomores, and Friday (Sept. 4) for first-year students. Even if the one-on-one slots are taken, think about signing up for a group session to learn more about a company that interests you.
Here, you'll find a PowerPoint presentation from the Meruelo Family Center for Career Development, which goes through all the things you need to know to sign up, as well as tips and tricks on preparing to make the most of the fair.
The College has also launched a new program called Beyond the Dome, which features a number of career discernment tools and resources that are exclusive to A&L students — a peer-mentoring program, an online discernment tool linked to a job-matching board, an alumni speaker series, and a year-by-year guide to career readiness. Check out the website at the link above or the button below to get started.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. My job is to help Arts & Letters students with career readiness, so don't hesitate to contact me.
This is a great year to expand your understanding of what you think you might want to do after Notre Dame — and the Fall Career Fair is an easy, low-stakes way to start that process.
Sincerely,
Marty Whalen
A&L Career Program Manager
