In the coming weeks, our office will be involved in multiple job and internship fairs. These are excellent opportunities for students to connect with many employers in a short amount of time, but as we have discussed in previous posts, they can seem overwhelming to attend. One particular source of anxiety for attendees is not knowing what employers are looking for. As someone asked in a Jobipedia question: How do recruiters determine which students are worth pursuing from a 3-minute conversation at a career fair? It’s true- what can a recruiter possibly see in a 3-minute chat about whether a candidate will be a good fit, or fill a need, in their company? Thankfully, a few employers responded, giving insight into what they look for at recruiting events such as job fairs.
A representative from The Hershey Company had a few suggestions. First, to be prepared and don’t hesitate to initiate the conversation. Second, to have an elevator speech that is concise, but gives insight into who you are. Third, make sure what you are looking for in a job is actually available at the company at that given time. The representative recommended researching the careers section of the company website before the fair, but we also recommend using LinkedIn, or reading the website of the organization hosting the fair, as they will sometimes give details about what positions companies are looking to fill while in attendance. A Hiring Expert from Pitney Bowes indicated that, at fairs, they are looking for candidates with not only the technical skills to do the job successfully but also cultural fit- does the candidate present a personality that would mesh well with current employees. Finally, a representative from AT&T encouraged candidates to focus on their first impression- not only echoing the importance of the elevator speech, but also to be cognizant of clothing choice. Another key take-away from their feedback was to be confident!
To read the full answers to this question and many others, click here: http://www.jobipedia.org/Questions/Conversation/How-do-recruiters-determine-which-students-are-worth-pursuing-from-a-3-minute-conversation-at-a-career-fair
ALBRIGHT ELCDC 