Fletcher's approach to career education is both broad and deep. We
start with the fundamentals and build from that foundation. We take your
career success very seriously.
All MALD and MIB students participate in the Professional Development Program (PDP),
a mandatory ten-week course held on Friday mornings during their first
semester. The PDP helps prepare students for managing their
international careers both during and after Fletcher. The program
complements the rigorous academic preparation here at Fletcher by
providing students with the tools they need professionally to succeed in
an increasingly complex and competitive work environment. Topics
covered in this interactive program include Self-Assessment, Hiring
Theory, Personal Marketing and Communication including Resumes and Cover
Letters, Networking, Interviewing, and Presentation Skills.
Complementing the PDP is a host of sector-specific career education
programming to help students develop the industry-specific knowledge
necessary for creating opportunities in their targeted career field. The
OCS partners with employers, faculty, alumni and student clubs to
deliver this programming. The private sector student might attend
"Careers on Wall Street", the public sector student might attend "US
Security Clearance Process" and the international organization student
might attend "Inside Scoop on the UN". And if a student is feeling a
little nervous about that critical interview for his/her dream job, the
OCS can assist with a videotaped mock interview.
Many employers will visit campus to provide employer information sessions
about their organization. These provide great learning opportunities
not just about that organization, but about the industry/sector in
general. We encourage students to attend these sessions, even if the
organization is not their top target organization, to better understand
the issues facing that industry. This translates to a much stronger
candidate when interviewing with other organizations in that field.
Most of the career education programs and employer briefings occur
during lunch and early evening hours when there is little conflict with
class schedules to maximize the students' availability to participate in
these educational programs.