Alumni Hosts/Mentors
Fairfield alumni have so much to offer today’s students! We hope that alumni from all industries will volunteer as mentors so we can match all students who register for this rewarding, impactful program.
Whether you can devote a day, half day, or even a lunch meeting, your time is extremely beneficial to Fairfield students. Whatever your field, you’ll have the opportunity to introduce careers, culture, and industry, and share your own personal career experiences.
The industries often requested by students include:
- Advertising
- Counseling/Psychology
- Finance* (investment banking, corporate, financial services)
- Marketing*
- Media Production
- Medical Doctors
- Nonprofit
- Nursing*
- Public Relations
- Publishing
- Sports Management/Marketing
*Fairfield especially needs alumni career mentors in finance, marketing, and nursing. If you work in those fields, please consider participating this year.
Alumni Timeline
| September |
Alumni will receive an e-mail with a link to the online registration page. |
| October 25 |
Complete a profile form and register to host one, two, three, or more students at your organization for a full day, half-day, or lunch. |
| November 30 |
Matched alumni mentors will be notified of the student(s) who will shadow them. (Alumni who are not matched will also be notified. Matches are based on students’ choices of location and industry). |
| December 4 |
Alumni reply to students with details and itinerary. |
| December 20, 2019 – January 10, 2020 |
Job Shadow! |
Typical Shadow Day
To help ensure a successful Job Shadow experience, we recommend alumni share in advance an itinerary of what you anticipate the Shadow Day to be like. You may choose to have the student(s) for a full day, half-day, or lunch. They can spend the entire time with you and/or spend time with colleagues.
- Talk about your career path since graduating from Fairfield. Discuss potential career paths within the organization and the industry
- Schedule brief (15-minute) informational interviews with the student and Fairfield alumni and other employees within your organization
- Schedule time with Human Resources to talk about future opportunities and hiring trends
- Have the student join you for client and internal meetings
- Tour your organization’s facility
- Review the student's resume
- Assign a brief project relevant to their career interests or major
- Schedule time for Q&A
Juniors & Seniors
Job Shadow is an opportunity for juniors and seniors to observe first-hand a typical day on the job by accompanying Fairfield alumni through their workday. Students begin to understand the skills and attributes necessary to succeed in a particular field and gain a realistic picture of the everyday aspects of a workplace. The Job Shadow student registration opens in September 2019.
Students from all majors participate in Job Shadow, including marketing, finance, psychology, biology, communication, engineering, nursing, media and film production, information systems, and international studies—to name a few.
Typical Job Shadow Day
The format and schedule varies, but a typical Job Shadow day may include:
- Observation of the employees’ activities during their workday
- Informational interviews with the Fairfield alumna/nus host and other employees
- Meetings with the president, department heads, or other individuals
- Lunch with Fairfield alumni
- A tour of the workplace
- An opportunity for a resume review with the alumna/nua
Participating Organizations
Companies participating in Fairfield’s Job Shadow program have included:
Albany Medical Center
Amazon
Bank of America
Baystate Health
Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston College
Citigroup
Daversa
ESPN
Facebook
Fairfield University
GE Digital
Godiva Chocolatier
Hasbro
IBM
Inspira Marketing
Medtronic
NBC Sports Group
Novartis
Northwell Health
Omnicom Health Group
Pfizer
SMBC
Travelers
WebMD
WFSB TV
Student Timeline
| September |
Juniors and seniors will receive an e-mail from the Career Center with a link to the online registration. |
| October 25 |
Complete the online application that will assist in matching students to an opportunity based on career interest and location. |
| November |
Students must attend a mandatory Orientation Workshop to learn about the program goals and procedures, and how to prepare for the Job Shadow experience. |
| Early December |
Contact the alumni mentor directly to arrange for your Shadow Day experience. |
| December 19, 2019 – January 14, 2019 |
Job Shadow! |
Student Expectations
There is a mandatory Orientation in mid-November. There will be a “returner” Orientation for students who participated last year.
Prior to the Job Shadow visit
- If students are matched, they are expected to participate in the program. If, for any reason, students cannot participate after being matched, notify the Career Center immediately so we can match another student.
- Contact the alumni mentor to schedule a convenient Job Shadow date.
- Research the organization and prepare a list of questions to ask the alumni host.
- Be sure to respond to all correspondence from the alumni mentor in a timely manner.
- Plan transportation and allow plenty of time for traffic, etc.
During the Job Shadow visit
- Bring a padfolio with a notebook, pen, and copies of your resume.
- Dress and speak professionally.
- Arrive on time (or 5 minutes early).
- Spend the day actively listening, learning, asking relevant questions, and taking notes.
- Ask for business cards of anyone you meet with during the day so you can follow up with them.
- Take some photos of you and your alumni host in front of a company sign and during other activities.
After the Job Shadow Day
- Send thank you notes to your alumni host and anyone else you met during the Job Shadow day.
- E-mail photos to careers@fairfield.edu so we can create an online album.
