Holy Cross Students Explore Job Opportunities, Network at Annual Career Fair



This September, more than 300 students filled the Hogan Ballroom for the annual Career Fair, organized by the Center for Career Development.

With representatives from 58 employers present at the event, students had the opportunity to practice networking and explore internships and open positions that currently exist in the job market, specifically in the fields of finance, sales, insurance, technology, education, government and human services.

While the majority of students who took advantage of the event were seniors preparing for careers after graduation, the Career Fair had something to offer students in every class year and major, and at every stage of their professional careers. Underclassmen had the opportunity to learn about companies who are serious about hiring Holy Cross students and what types of internships exist, and second and third year students looking for internships were able to get their foot in the door with companies they are interested in.

As a whole, students learned and practiced how to have professional conversations, continued to develop their own professional persona, and could even have a professional headshot taken for their LinkedIn profiles.

Many of the organizations that attended did so with open internships or full-time positions in mind, looking to specifically hire Holy Cross students; 18 of the organizations regularly recruit at Holy Cross, hiring at least one student per year. Well-known organizations, including City Year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ernst & Young, General Electric, PepsiCo, and Unum were among those present.

“Because of the Career Fair, I had the opportunity to speak with many different representatives in a variety of careers,” says Grainne Fitzpatrick ’17, a political science and religious studies double major. “As a result, I was able to have a more focused idea of what kind of career I want to pursue after I leave Holy Cross and what steps I have to take to secure a job that I want. One company in particular ended up calling me at the end of the week so that I could go take a tour of their Burlington office, learn more about the company, and begin the interview process.”

The Career Fair was also an example of the dynamic Holy Cross alumni network: 46 alumni, many of them recent graduates, came back to campus to speak to students and represent their organizations. Being able to talk to recent alumni at the event made asking questions, dropping off resumes, and gathering business cards even easier says Fitzpatrick.

“Our alumni go on to do just about everything after graduation, so the Center for Career Development strives to expose students to a wide variety of careers and professional opportunities during their time at Holy Cross,” says Maura Hume Sweeney ‘07, associate director for the Center for Career Development. “The Career Fair is our first big event of the academic year, kicking off a series of professional networking nights that follow throughout the rest of the year.”

The complementary networking nights will include the following professional fields: non-profit, public service & education (November), finance (December), real estate (February), science, healthcare & medicine (March), and fashion (June).