Alumni
FIDM Has 1,500 Jobs Posted to its Career Network
From one-on-one career counseling to virtual job fairs, FIDM is committed to placing its students and alumni in jobs and internships during these challenging times. We chatted with Career Center Executive Director Wendy Klarik about the host of free services and online events – as well as the 1,500 active jobs postings and 425 internships – available to students and graduates of FIDM.
How is the Career Center helping students and grads during their job search in the midst of a pandemic? The Career Advisors are available virtually instead of in person. Students can sign up for an appointment by Zoom call or via telephone. We are available to help with personal brand development, interviewing skills, refining resumes, and all other aspects of job search. Now that businesses are slowly reopening, we are reaching out to companies to understand their needs and facilitate interviews with students and alumni. The pandemic has made job search more challenging, but we are adapting to this new environment.
Will you be shifting in-person events like job fairs to online? Since we are uncertain about when we will return to on-campus learning and because we want to keep students and alumni safe, we will be hosting virtual events. We are planning two virtual job fairs: one in mid-September for graduating students and alumni and one in late October for more entry-level jobs for new and returning students. We are also going to change Career Connections to a virtual panel orientation in November. It is so important for students to interface with FIDM Alumni – we will just be doing it in a new format.
How many jobs are available through the Career Center right now? There are currently approximately 1,500 active job postings on the Career Network. Even during the shutdown, jobs were still being posted. Last week, we had the largest number of new jobs added to the site so we think this will continue to grow. Although most of the major company summer internships were discontinued due to the pandemic and company shutdowns, there are actually 425 internships listed on the Career Network.
Tell us about what the Career Center has planned this summer. We have put together a Summer Outreach program that includes webinars, panel discussions, alumni interviews, and more. Starting with the Lunch and Learn series hosted by Tom Henkenius, we have partnered with a panel of HR specialists who will be covering the new employment landscape in light of the COVID-19 for an online event on July 7, 2020, "The Future of Work: Adapting Your Personal Brand." We’re also offering webinars this quarter on "Virtual Interviewing Skills," as well as "The New Rules for Job Search." In addition, we will be hosting interviews with two of our alumni who will be explaining how they are navigating this new environment. The outreach program will highlight new information for students and alumni each week of the summer quarter.
What advice would you share with a current student or graduate? As the environment has dramatically changed since the pandemic, we all need to re-evaluate how we are approaching the job market. Some advice we share with students is:
- Re-evaluate your brand identity. Are you sharing a compelling personal story that shows your unique characteristics and skills which allows you to stand out from other candidates?
- Be flexible. Even if you can't begin in your dream job, what can you learn by taking another position?
- Think outside the box. Look at other positions or industries that perhaps you haven't considered in the past.
- Strengthen your skills. Are there classes, webinars, or other methods to improve your skills or add a new skill to your resume.
- Network, network, network!
