Melissa J. Sawyer

Senior Associate Director/Operations Manager, Undergraduate Career Development, Pulsifer Career Development Center

Melissa Sawyer is Senior Associate Director/Operations Manager and dedicated Career Coach for the Accountancy, Corporate Finance and Accounting (Accounting Focus), Data Analytics, Information Systems Audit and Control, Mathematics, and Actuarial Sciences majors for Undergraduate Career Development in the Pulsifer Career Development Center. Sawyer has more than 20 years of experience working in higher education in various functions encompassing career services, admission, financial aid, fellowship programs, and registrar’s office. She has developed strong relationships with staff and faculty throughout Bentley’s campus while collaborating on various programs for her majors. Sawyer has established solid partnerships with employers who actively recruit the students in her area of focus. Additionally, she oversees the relationship between the Pulsifer Career Center and Handshake and Big Interview. Sawyer looks forward to meeting with students to help them evaluate their interests regarding major and career path and in developing the skills necessary to acquire the positions they desire.

Prior to working at Bentley, Sawyer worked in career services with law students at Western New England School of Law and held various positions at Cornell University prior to and during graduate school. She has a Bachelor of Arts from John Carroll University and a MEd from Kent State University.

Dedicated Career Coach for the following majors:

  • Accountancy
  • Actuarial Sciences
  • Corporate Finance and Accounting (Accounting Focus)
  • Data Analytics
  • Information Systems Audit and Control
  • Information Technology in Accounting
  • Mathematics

Fun fact:  Melissa has traveled to 18 countries in the past 18 years (and more prior to that)!  Traveling with her husband and son is one of her passions and their most recent adventure was to go to the Galapagos Islands.  Melissa looks forward to many more stamps in her passport in the future!

Favorite part about the office: Working with the amazing students – Melissa truly enjoys watching them grow, develop and achieve their goals.  Seeing the smiles on students faces when they receive their internship/full time offer is the best!

Junior & Senior Appointments:

Please schedule an appointment via Handshake (Career Center > Appointments > Schedule a New Appointment > follow remaining prompts).

All Posts

Obtaining the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) Designation

The Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation is issued by AICPA & CIMA to U.S. CPAs or finance professionals in the Americas. The designation tells the world you’re a trusted business strategist that can connect all aspects of business to drive success. To learn more about the CGMA designation, why it’s valuable, and the steps to obtain it, head to this web page by AICPA & CIMA.

By Melissa J. Sawyer
Melissa J. Sawyer Senior Associate Director/Operations Manager, Undergraduate Career Development, Pulsifer Career Development Center
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ALPFA wants you! Sign up for the Boston Student Summit today!

ALPFA would like to invite Bentley student to their annual Student Summit hosted this year at Suffolk University in Boston, MA.

The Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA) is the first national Latino professional association in the United States, and they have recently gone international with a chapter in Toronto, Canada! Their organization has multiple chapters across all regions. ALPFA Boston aims to provide high-quality professional development opportunities to students and professionals in Massachusetts.

This year’s Student Summit is …

By Melissa J. Sawyer
Melissa J. Sawyer Senior Associate Director/Operations Manager, Undergraduate Career Development, Pulsifer Career Development Center
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Join MAPFRE Insurance for The Insurance Collegiate BMAP Challenge and Competition

What: BMAP is a simulation that brings participants through a series of decision points in the insurance industry. Participants gain an overview of the objectives of insurance and further insight into the decisions that occur in an insurance company. Participants compete in a full-day experience in a team of 4-5 members. Teams work together to maximize the company business value through examination of market share, cumulative combined ratio, cumulative profit, and cumulative solvency. The winning team will be awarded $100 …

By Melissa J. Sawyer
Melissa J. Sawyer Senior Associate Director/Operations Manager, Undergraduate Career Development, Pulsifer Career Development Center
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Boston Virtual Data Science/Analytics Career Fair

The Collegiate Association of Data Science & Analytics is hosting their first virtual career fair for data analytics and actuarial students on September 19th from 11am-3pm! Companies in the local Boston area looking to hire actuaries and data analysts will be present. The career fair is completely free to attend.

Register here

Career fair Google meet link

By Melissa J. Sawyer
Melissa J. Sawyer Senior Associate Director/Operations Manager, Undergraduate Career Development, Pulsifer Career Development Center
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Apply for the 2023 Sexuality and Gender Alliance of Actuaries Scholarship

Scholarship overview: SAGAA (Sexuality and Gender Alliance of Actuaries) furthers its mission by awarding scholarships to LGBTQ+ actuarial students attending a US, Canadian, or West Indies college or university.

Applications will be evaluated on various criteria including, but not limited to: need, academic performance, commitment to pursuing the actuarial profession, exam progress, work experience, and leadership experience.

Deadline: September 16, 2023 at 12:00AM

Apply here.

By Melissa J. Sawyer
Melissa J. Sawyer Senior Associate Director/Operations Manager, Undergraduate Career Development, Pulsifer Career Development Center
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Register for the UConn Sports Analytics Symposium’s Student Data Competition by 9/14

Do you have a passion for sports and data? The UConn Sports Analytics Symposium (UCSAS) offers a student data competition, where you can apply your data analysis skills to a real-world sports question. The UConn Sports Analytics Symposium focuses specifically on undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in sports analytics. Finalists will be invited to present at UCSAS 2024. Winning teams will win a cash prize and the opportunity to showcase their work, with all travel, registrations, and expenses …

By Melissa J. Sawyer
Melissa J. Sawyer Senior Associate Director/Operations Manager, Undergraduate Career Development, Pulsifer Career Development Center
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Become a MassCPAs College Student Ambassador! Deadline 9/15

Are you interested in serving as a liaison between MassCPAs, accounting students, and key contacts at Bentley? Responsibilities may include but are not limited to:

Promoting the MassCPAs student membership by identifying key contacts (supportive professors and faculty) on your campus to use as a resource to spread awareness to students
Distributing promotional materials to students and key contacts
Assisting in the promotion of MassCPAs student programs and events through social media
Organizing at least one on-campus event in partnership …

By Melissa J. Sawyer
Melissa J. Sawyer Senior Associate Director/Operations Manager, Undergraduate Career Development, Pulsifer Career Development Center
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Download the Handshake App to make your Fall Recruiting Season a Breeze!

Fall is here!

Returning to school brings Recruiting Season for many industries for internships and full time opportunities.  Handshake is rolling out a new feature that allows you to “check in” with employers at the various Career Fairs over the next few weeks (and beyond) that will make it easier for you to stay organized and follow up with companies that you have met with.

What will make this super easy for you to do?  DOWNLOAD THE HANDSHAKE APP TODAY!

By Melissa J. Sawyer
Melissa J. Sawyer Senior Associate Director/Operations Manager, Undergraduate Career Development, Pulsifer Career Development Center
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Don’t Miss the Data 4 Good Case Competition – Kickoff meetings on 9/1 and 9/2!

This event begins soon and looks intriguing.  It sounds like anyone who participates will learn a lot about AI-assisted decision-making.

Welcome to the Data 4 Good Case Competition, jointly sponsored by the Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business master’s programs – MSBAIM, MSGSCM, MSM, Krenicki CenterMicrosoftINFORMSPrediction Guard, and Certiport.

At the crossroads of critical thinking, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and communication, this elite case competition is designed to challenge undergraduate and graduate students across the country to …

By Melissa J. Sawyer
Melissa J. Sawyer Senior Associate Director/Operations Manager, Undergraduate Career Development, Pulsifer Career Development Center
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Women in Actuarial Job Shadow Day – Application Deadline September 1st!

Travelers Actuarial Leadership Development Program (ALDP) would like to invite undergraduate students from Bentley to their 4th annual “Women in Actuarial Job Shadow Day”. It will take place virtually on Friday, September 15th from 9:30am – 12:30pm EST (8:30am – 11:30am CST).

This event will showcase actuarial female talent at Travelers through job shadows, executive speakers, and a panel discussion. Students will have the opportunity to learn about both traditional and non-traditional P&C actuarial work and network with actuaries at Travelers. While …

By Melissa J. Sawyer
Melissa J. Sawyer Senior Associate Director/Operations Manager, Undergraduate Career Development, Pulsifer Career Development Center
Read more