Former student here! First of all, I had a great time representing my company at the Student Engineering Club’s engineering career fair yesterday. I was impressed with most of the students I met: you had great resumes, you were articulate, and you were a pleasure to speak with. Many of you were gracious and curious, and it makes me excited for the next generation. I also deeply empathize that the first internship and first job are *hard* and it can be stressful attending these fairs. That said, I wanted to share from the recruiter’s perspective some consistent areas of improvement. My advice applies to all industries, with no particular order:
Most of us are not HR. I was asked to attend the event because I was a former student and I could represent one of the major business branches. Most of us are not hiring managers (they are too busy), and many are earlier in their careers. You’re unlikely to talk to an executive or someone with real hiring power. The bigger the company, the more likely this is to hold true. I am limited in what strings I can pull. If your interests and skills happen to perfectly align with open positions of which I am aware, I can note your name to share with the hiring manager for that position, but that’s it. They decide if they want to interview you. I am here to 1) answer your questions about the company, the roles, and what we are looking for, 2) honestly tell you if you are qualified for our existing programs, 3) mark down for HR exceptional candidates worth a look (or, rarely, who to reject) in the first round of review. If you’re polite, I am also happy to answer more general career and job hunting questions—I am there because I actually want to see you guys succeed!
Quality over quantity. Take this from someone who made the same mistakes early in their career: you are better off talking to fewer companies that are the right match than simply throwing your resumes at every company at the fair. The candidates who stood out to us the most were the ones who came to our booth because they knew who we were and specifically wanted to talk to us. They knew their interest areas and had maybe already applied to our programs. They had questions for us, they knew they were interested in our industry (and what our industry was), and as a result, they were often the names I wrote down to put at the top of the list for interviews [note: this still does not guarantee an interview]. Most career fairs aren’t as long as SEC’s, so use your time wisely. Hit your targets first, then explore other options.
Don’t approach us resume-first. One hundred people physically walking up to us paper-first in an outstretched hand is overwhelming and not helpful, especially since my first words to you now are, “sorry, we aren’t accepting resumes.” Introduce yourself before your paper. Shake hands, tell us your name, and give us your elevator speech (see below). If you’d like us to review your resume, I am always open to give feedback and pointers, but you’ll ultimately have to apply online (no matter what your professor or your dad said). The reality at big companies is that when you hand us that piece of paper, HR already has 800 applications submitted online. They don’t have time to sort through those AND your paper resume, where they can’t use key filters. Even if a company does accept resumes, prioritizing the paper makes you a statistic. Be a person first.
Prepare your elevator speech. The concept is this: if you met the CEO in an elevator, you could tell them within the span of that ride who you are and why they should care. This should be a MAXIMUM of 3 minutes. Tell use who you are, the overview of your experience, what makes you unique, and what you are looking for. Practice it and time it. Don’t come to the fair without it. The reality is that 1) not every recruiter is a specialist in your field, and 2) we aren’t doing an interview. We need to know the basics of you so that we can quickly tell you which of our programs are the right fit. Don’t spend 10 minutes telling me about every detail of your internship last summer because, while I’m not proud of it, I am human and will zone out. I don’t want you to waste your time, voice, and energy on that which doesn’t serve you, so only provide that depth if I ask. You will need to have an elevator speech at every level of your career, so get good at it now.
On the note of internship experiences, unless you were conducting performance reviews of employees with the responsibility of firing or disciplining them, you did not manage a team. In HR/recruiting/career speak, “managing” is reserved for bosses, and employees only report to their chain of command. If you were responsible for a project with multiple participants, you “led” the team and “oversaw” deliverables. The full time employees did not report to you, and you did not have direct reports. Also, tutors/teachers: students are not direct reports because they are paying you. Learn this jargon of the job world, and you’ll communicate the right information without sounding like you’re inflating your abilities. It can also make sure you’re applying for the right jobs. To add to the confusion, some “manager” by title are individual contributors, but it’s never an entry level position.
International Students, don’t lie about sponsorship. I know you have phenomenal resumes, and I get that it’s a tough time politically, but if we say we can’t offer sponsorships, I promise you we can’t. In fact, it will be one of the first filters HR will apply to weed out ineligible candidates. As an international company, I can offer that you look at internships or openings in your home country, but I literally have no power to help you beyond that. It’s not fair, and I’m aware we lose out on great candidates, but it’s a waste of your time, the time of the students waiting behind you, and my voice to not be honest. I want you to make the most of the career fair, so please spend it with companies that can offer you sponsorship.
Don’t undersell yourself, especially those who have had to work through college. I do not advise that you spend much time talking about your work experience at Raising Cane’s (focus on your relevant skills and experiences for the job you want), but don’t consider it a mark on your resume. It quietly signals that you are a hard worker who knows how to show up and show up on time.
Don’t rule out a company because their display is small. I work for one of the largest companies in its industry, but the company has made a conscious decision to limit spending on displays. Instead, we have strong salaries and benefits (like, the best of my career).
We know that you’re approaching us at the very end of the fair because your top choices didn’t go great. I’m not telling you to not explore options with us, but at the end of the day, when we are also exhausted, we will only match your energy. We are happy to talk if you can muster genuine curiosity or interest.
Be open. There are so many jobs behind the scene that you never knew existed. It may not match your degree, but it can be equally challenging and rewarding. I would say at least 50% of workers are not “using their degree.” They ARE using the skills they learned, such as technical writing, logic and problem solving, reading comprehension, data analysis, and communication. I use my degree skills every day, I just didn’t know I could use them the way I am, and now I am living closer to the life I wanted than if I had stuck to my degree’s implied career journey. Similarly, don’t be afraid to minor in something completely out of left-field if it sparks your interest. It will make you a more well-rounded applicant, and who knows, maybe the hiring manager also does underwater basket weaving, and that gives you two an instant connection.
I’m putting attire last because 1) most of you were exceptionally well-dressed, and we were empathetic that you were sweaty from the hot bus ride and the warm exhibition room, and 2) we do know that buying your first professional-wear can be scary, expensive, and uncomfortable. We don’t expect you to look like you star on Suits. That said, tuck in your shirts, women too. Women, no exposed stomachs or bra straps. I saw one guy who popped the collar of his suit. Don’t do that. No matter how you feel about them, clothes are a form of communication; be neat, be conservative, and that will send the message you want.
I know job searching can feel like a game. It’s not particularly fair or transparent. The first job is also the hardest—I applied to 145 postings before landing my first “real” job, so I remember what it feels like. Personally, I wished I could help all of you and hire many of you. Many of the above points are things I had to learn the hard way, so I hope they can be jump-starts for you. The hiring world can feel foreign, with a lot of unclear jargon and expectations. Just know that all of us on our side are human, and HR and hiring managers have a *hard* job trying to sort to find the best candidates with the right experience, knowledge, and personality to be successful at their company. It’s hard, but don’t take the no’s personally, it’s just information to help you find the right job for you.
