Reasons Why You Should Attend the Fall 2024 Career Fair

Students: take advantage of the St. John Fisher University Fall 2024 Career Fair, taking place from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26, in the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Athletic Center Field House.

This year, Fisher will transition from a boutique fair model in the spring semester to one University-wide career fair in the fall semester. This issue of Fisher News Highlights shares everything students should know about the event. 

Who should attend? The Career Fair is helpful to any students in any class year as it can lead to a successful job search or offer connections for internships with recruiters. Students planning to attend the Career Fair should register through Handshake. Heather DiFino, director of career services, said it’s beneficial for students to research what companies will be there. Over 80 organizations are registered to attend, and students can see the full employer list via Handshake. These organizations have opportunities for students from all majors, fields, and Schools, including finance, marketing, accounting, human services, health care, and more. DiFino also suggests that students have questions prepared for the organizations they are interested in. The objective is to gather as much information as possible about the organizations before the Career Fair, which should be time spent making deeper connections, networking, and learning about career and internship options.

Should students bring a résumé? Yes, students should bring their résumé to the Career Fair. Bringing a résumé allows students to show off their qualifications and experiences to potential employers in the moment. DiFino said students should create LinkedIn profiles as employers will want to learn more about them after meeting them.

Starting Monday, Sept. 16, the Career Services team is going mobile by providing open résumé reviews the week leading up to the fair to help students be ready. The following week, students can take advantage of all-day walk-ins in Kearney 059 from Monday, Sept. 23 through Wednesday, Sept. 25. 

Career Mobile

• School of Business - 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday, Sept. 16
• Wegmans School of Nursing - 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 17
• Golisano Gateway Midlevel - 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 18
• Hughes Rotunda in the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education - 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 19

What if an organization/employer that a student wants to connect with is not planning to attend? If students want to connect with an organization or employer that is not attending, there is no need to worry, said DiFino. The Career Services team works one-on-one with students to help them connect and network with employers, and students can set up an appointment with a career coach via Handshake. Employers also actively host virtual information sessions on Handshake, which presents opportunities to learn more about the company, roles, and responsibilities, shared DiFino. 

Is there anything else students should know? DiFino explained that employers at the Career Fair will recruit for internships and jobs in the spring and summer of 2025. “Hiring trends are shifting, and so we want to bring these opportunities to Fisher students so they can have a chance to be competitive and solidify internships and jobs,” stated DiFino. At the Career Fair, students can also take free professional headshots via Fisher’s PopCam for their LinkedIn profiles. Finally, the Career Services team reminds students that a major doesn’t always lead to a career — take the time to learn more about the companies even if they are recruiting specifically for one major or role; there are other positions, and opportunities, that they can perhaps connect students with that might better align. One last piece of advice DiFino gives to students is to “be confident and brave on your career journey.”