Navigating a Career Fair

Upcoming Career Fairs

www.career.gatech.edu -> Students -> Career Fairs

School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Career Fair – Tue Jan 17 and Wed, Jan 18
Location:Klaus Advanced Computing Building Atrium, First Floor
For additional information and registration, please go to: http://www.ece.gatch.edu/careerfair/

GTSBE Fair (Georgia Tech Society of Black Engineers) – Wed Jan 18 and Thu, Jan 19 Location:Student Center Ballroom (Student Center – 3rd floor) For registration and additional information, please go to: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFBzYnhramhpN0lvMjNFUW41d3p2d2c6MQ

GT Internship & Co-Op Fair – Tue Jan 24 and Wed, Jan 25 Location:Student Center Ballroom For registration and additional information, please go to: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2012internshipcoopfair

Georgia Tech Virtual Career Fair – Wed Feb 1 and Thu, Feb 2 Location: For registration and additional information, please go to: http://gatech.careereco.net/employers/virtual-career-fair-details/

GT Student Foundation Finance Career Fair – Fri Feb 3 Location:College of Management 10:00 AM – noon For additional information, please go to: http://gtsf.gatech.edu/ For registration, please go to: https://gtalumni.org/registrations/financecareerfair/responses/new

Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE) Career Fair – Mon Feb 13 Location:Student Center Ballroom 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM For additional information and registration, please go to: http://gtiie.org/sponsorus.html

Preparing for Career Fair:

Update your resume; have someone review it

• Create resumes with customized objective statements for targeted companies, and bring others with a general objective statement for employers who catch your eye

Know your companies

• Research companies: What does organization do, what positions might be open
• Familiarize yourself with employers attending the fair

Strategize

• Devise a plan to visit employers at career fair
  • Review registered companies
  • Prioritize about 10 target companies
  • Have a secondary list of 5-10 companies

Elevator Pitch (practice, practice, practice!)

• A relevant 20-40 second introduction
• Used at career fairs, info sessions and other networking events
• Always relate your statement to whom you are speaking and showcase your skills in a manner that relates to company needs

Consists of:

• Greeting
• Your Name
• Major and Class Year
• Relevant experiences—work, classroom (such as special or technical projects), extracurricular, and leadership activities
• Goal
  • To obtain a co-op, internship or full-time position
• Why you want to talk to this company
• Inquire about available positions

Examples:

“Hello.  My name is Katie Speigel, and I’m a senior biomedical engineering major at Georgia Tech.  I’m looking for a summer internship in the southeast.  I’m particularly interested in medical product design.  When I was reading your website, I noticed that Kelly Medical designs and manufactures a variety of such devices.  Can you tell me about biomedical internship opportunities at Kelly Medical?”  

“Hi, my name is Zach Jones. I’m currently a sophomore student at Georgia Tech. My major is in business with a minor in art. I have volunteered with the student credit union throughout my sophomore year. Last summer I completed an internship with The Museum of Modern Art, and I’m hoping to find an internship in finance this summer in the Boston area. I have always had an interest in art, and I’m also finding that I have a knack for business. In the future, I’m hoping to find a career that includes both.”

Day of Career Fair:

What to Bring and Wear

Bring:

• Leather binder/portfolio with a notepad
• Resumes (25+) on high quality white or cream resume paper
• List of employers

Wear:

• Conservative color suit like black, grey, navy, brown
• Match suit/shirt with a conservative tie
• NO short or tight skirts; skirt to or below knee
• NO tight pants
• NO low necklines
• Comfortable, closed-toed, professional shoes
• Minimal perfume and jewelry
• Neatly groomed hair

At the Fair:

Upon Arrival

• Leave backpack at door
• Survey layout of employers at the fair and determine the order in which you will approach identified employers
• Consider meeting with your top employers first thing, but be flexible as lines are typically long for companies that are many other students’ top choices

Making a Good Impression

• Arrive early (Tip:  Come in the morning, if possible, and reserve a 2+ hour block)
• Walk with your head up and confidently
• Build rapport with each recruiter: smile, make eye contact, firmly shake his or her hand
• Introduce yourself with Elevator Pitch and offer your resume.
  • Tip:  Don’t say, “So tell me about your company. . .”
• Don’t interrupt—wait for pauses in the conversation before interjecting questions/comments
• Be enthusiastic

DO Ask Questions

• Be cognizant of other students waiting
• Don’t skirt GPA question
• ALWAYS ask about next steps as well as for a business card or email
• When ready to leave, collect giveaway items
• Network! Make connections with employers/recruiters, fellow job seekers, etc.

Sample Questions

• What kinds of co-op or internship opportunities exist within your company?
• What qualities does your company look for in a candidate?
• Does your company hire on a continual basis or just at certain times of the year?
• How many co-ops or interns is your company looking to hire?
• What courses do you suggest in order to be a successful candidate?

Best Practices:

• Enthusiasm works
• Preparation is key
• First impressions last
• Keep good notes after each meeting

After the Fair:

Send thank-you notes to each recruiter via mail or email

• Attach your resume

Reflect and regroup

• Assess experience at career fair
• Review strategies, interactions, results

General Outcomes of Career Fair

• Often told to apply on company website, P2D2 or CareerBuzz for positions
• Often told about upcoming on-campus interview dates
• May be asked for an interview

Good luck!!

Atlanta Startup Riot Career Fair

Get an Awesome Job at the Atlanta Startup Riot Career Fair!

There are positions for everyone at this Career Fair, but if you’re a software developer, you definitely don’t want to miss this event with some of the amazing opportunities available.

When: Wednesday, August 10th  from 9AM-1PM

Where:  GTRI Conference Center

Don’t delay in applying as a job seeker (or as a hiring startup if you are in that camp!).  And if you know of anyone looking for an awesome gig, forward this blog post to them right now!

Who’s Hiring?

Listed recruiting startups are hiring for 171 open full-time positions and 20 internships.

What an Intern Should Know Before Working in Bangladesh

This is a guest blog post by Kate Wharton.  Kate is Economics & International Affairs  major who interned in Dhaka, Bangladesh in Spring 2011 for JAAGO Foundation .

My Experience

I worked abroad in Dhaka, Bangladesh for the Spring 2011 semester.  After completing a four-week program at the Grameen Bank, I decided to work for a local NGO rather than being placed with a Grameen sister company.  After my first visit to JAAGO Foundation, I was hooked and accepted an internship position working with the new Volunteer for Bangladesh program.  At JAAGO, I worked at the head offices in Rayer Bazar slum, at the English Medium School.  I worked directly with the General Secretary, who was responsible for the Volunteer for Bangladesh program.  Because the program had just been approved for a large grant from the US Embassy in Dhaka, I was able to contribute to the development of a new program and understand the inner workings of a well-run, well-known, and innovative NGO working in an urban setting in the developing world.  In addition to gaining general project management and organizational development/strategic skills, I was able to make frequent trips into two slums in Dhaka, participate in discussions with the community, interact with the children at the school through extracurricular activities, and gain a network of Bangladeshi students and volunteers.

Work Culture

The Bangladesh work culture is much more relaxed than in the US.  Often, work does not start until 10am, and time is a relative matter.  A meeting scheduled to begin at 4pm may not begin until 5pm or even 6pm.  Tea breaks during work hours are frequent, and while they are wonderful for building personal relationships, they do not promote the sense of urgency and efficiency common in the work environment in the US.  Bureaucracy is another issue and may prevent  you from being able to speak with anyone higher than your immediate supervisor.  I experienced this at Grameen Bank, but JAAGO was much less hierarchical, and I consulted frequently with the founder.  The larger challenge regarding working within a hierarchy is  the lack of communication.  Often, decisions made at the top were not passed down, so that work became irrelevant or repetitive.  Finally, communication may be complicated by language barriers.  Although most high-ranking leaders have good knowledge of English, this cannot be assumed.  When meetings include both English and Bangla native speakers, they may drift into Bangla with little regard to the non-Bangla audience.

Living Environment

This spring, Dhaka was ranked the second least-livable city in the world. After having lived there for four months, I whole-heartedly agree.  The experience is truly extraordinary, but be prepared for a physical and mentally challenging environment.  Between traffic, pollution, and a constant awareness of poverty.  As a foreigner, you will be constantly addressed, prodded, stared at, and even harassed by intrigued Bangladeshis.  Street kids and beggars will particularly single you out and linger to watch you, especially in heavy traffic.  On the bright side, everything in Dhaka is cheap.  A two-hour taxi or CNG ride may cost only a dollar, and fresh vegetables less than a quarter.  While imported goods are at or above the price you would pay in the US, there are plenty of wonderful local options.

General Tips

• Do not bother bringing shorts or tank tops.  Very conservative attire is expected, particularly when venturing from the Banani-Gulshan area of Dhaka.
• Learn your directions in Bangla and always have a street map on you.  Rickshaw and CNG drivers will act like they know where your destination is, but they often have no idea.  Also, they do not know the names of restaurants, etc.  Direct them to an area of the city, and then give specific directions from there (right, left, straight, etc.)
• Use a backpack rather than a bag to prevent theft.
• Do not expect high-speed internet.  It does not exist in Bangladesh.  It is much easier to buy a phone card, as calls to the US are only about 7 cents a minute.
• When buying a phone card, buy the scratch off ones and input information yourself rather than giving out your phone number.  Anytime you give out your number – even to someone selling minutes – you will receive several anonymous calls.  As a general rule, keep all personal information private.

Interested in working abroad?  If so, contact the Georgia Tech Work Abroad Office to get started!