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HELLO FELLOW WOLVERINES! We hope you are as excited as we are for the 2015 SWE/TBP Career Fair! year’s fair will be a success. We are pleased to present the 2nd annual student Career Fair Resource Guide. Our aim is to provide a single resource containing Career Fair prep advice and key dates, to help you make the most of the Career Fair. In this that this guide will make preparing for the Career Fair a little less daunting and really enhance your overall experience. Right now, you are probably in the midst of tidying up a resume, editing a cover letter, or rehearsing an elevator pitch. We know that this can be a stressful, nerve-wracking time of the year. We understand as we are looking for jobs too. However, we are also energized by the enthusiasm of the corporate recruiters who will be attending this year’s career fair. These recruiters have traveled from all around the United States and are as eager to Directing this career fair has been an wonderful adventure. We truly wish you all the best during the Fair. And remember:
Design Your Future Today. The 2015 Career Fair Directors, Becca Cohn Jon McCormick Lance Schmidt Meredith Wood Produced by: Design by: Haley Fox
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Sponsored by:
Secrets to Success from Recruiters Greetings Wolverines!
Over the year of working with recruiters we have heard a lot of great advice that we would like to pass on to you.
Tips for success from recruiters: 1
Research the companies you want to speak with. Have a general understanding of the company’s industry before speaking with recruiters during the fair.
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Have a clear idea of what you are looking for. Review your short-term and long-term goals to ensure that interest and desires will be met for both parties.
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Having a good GPA isn’t enough. Set yourself apart from others by getting involved in student organizations and having a leadership role that helps you grow and develop your “soft skills.”
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Dress for success! Looking and acting professionally shows recruiters that you are ready to work in a professional setting.
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Stay calm and be yourself. Having a calm dialogue can go a long way in creating a more natural conversation.
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Develop a concise and intriguing elevator speech. It’s a great way to introduce yourself and get your conversion off to a good start.
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Sending a follow-up email to recruiters thanking them for their time displays gratitude and professional kindness and can speak volumes for your character.
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Don’t be discouraged if you haven’t heard anything right after career fair. It often takes several weeks for companies to contact you for an interview.
Being recruited from Michigan Engineering is a great start; however, it also means that you’ll be competing amongst the best and brightest at this fair. Therefore, you’ll need to make yourself stand out. Keep this in mind as you communicate with potential employers, and give them a reason to hire you! Having a “can do” attitude and presenting yourself GO BLUE! 3
Key Events before the Fair SWE, TBP, & EGL all host Corporate Information Sessions (CIS) that are open to all students. During these informal sessions, students can learn more about a company and the positions they are hiring. The Engineering Career Resource Center (ECRC) also has many Career Fair prep events such as resume critiques. Please visit our website umcareerfair.org under the student section for a more detailed calendar of events.
TBP
9/17: Ernst & Young LLP, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, 1303 EECS 9/20: Owens Corning, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, 1005 EECS 9/25: Chevron, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, 1200 EECS 9/29: DISH Network, 6:00 - 7:00 pm, 1005 EECS 9/29: Nestle, 6:00 - 7:30 pm, 1003 EECS 10/6: Optiver, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, 1303 EECS 10/28: Praxair, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, 1014 DOW 10/11: Schlumberger, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, 1014 DOW 11/4: Auto Insurance
SWE
9/15: General Motors, Auto-Owners Insurance 9/16: ZS Associates, The Timken Company 9/17: Uniliver, Ernst & Young, Air Products and Chemicals Inc 9/21: General Electric, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Molex 9/22: Llama Soft 9/23: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, DTE Energy, Meritor Inc 9/24: General Mills, Textron, Capgemini 9/27: 3M, ExtraHop Networks, Intel 9/28: ExxonMobil, EMC, Exponent, Whirlpool 9/29: Raytheon Company, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Expedia Inc, Manhattan Assc. 9/30: Enova, NextEra Energy, National Instruments, Sapient Nitro
EGL
9/17: McKinsey at 7:30pm, 1571 GGBL 9/21: BASF at 7:00pm, 1006 DOW 9/23: Bosch at 6pm, No room yet 9/24: Whirlpool at 6pm, 1303 EECS 9/24: Caterpillar at 7pm, 2210 Ross
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SWE Professional Development Day: September 27 9:00am- 3:00pm This event will include recruiter-led sessions on interviews, resume writing, and maximizing career fair opportunities. Stop by Career Fair Receptions Undergraduate Receptions: Sunday, September 27 and Monday, September 28 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Tishman Hall (BBB Atrium) Masters & PhD Receptions Sunday, September 27 3:30 - 5:30pm GG Brown Atrium Career Fair Monday, September 28 and Tuesday, September 29 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
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Preparing for the Fair Receptions: The Hidden Treasure of Career Fair
Go to the reception! Receptions are informal networking events that happen Sunday and Monday night the week of career fair. This is the best place to build a connection with recruiters. Talking to recruiters helps break the ice. They will recognize you at the career fair the next day and probably smile when they see a familiar face. There are no time limits and stress like there is during the actual career fair. Talk to recruiters about their company, their position, job, college background, positive attitude and want to learn more about them and their company. Joshua Kempfer, Career Fair Chair Alumni
Leveraging Your Skills and Experiences
s even better if you have a concrete experience, like an internship or class - include those in your elevator pitch. Melinda Kothbauer, SWE
Persistence is Key!
If you have a company or few in mind that you want to intern with, then make sure to go to all their networking events. Reconnect with the same recruiter(s) to increase the probability that they will remember your name and face. I went to all 5 recruiting events for the company I hoped to intern with and I ended up getting interviews for 3 different internship positions for the summer of 2015. I .” Holly Johnston, SWE
Networking - Stay Genuine
When I attended a networking event last fall, I was surprised to hear from a hiring manager that want to hire people “[they] would enjoy working with every day.” That shocked me—being a likable person could actually help me land a job? It’s important to remember this fact when attending the Pre-Career Fair Receptions, during your interview, or even during your short conversation with representatives at their company booth. It’s okay to have a reserved personality or to be nervous, enthusiasm for the job or passion for the subject of conversation shine through! That is the type of -
Megan Darby, Career Fair Chair
Internship Structure
Not all intern programs are created equal. Some programs focus on intern learning and experience, while others treat interns as additional employees to increase productivity. It is important to evaluate great employers, may have poorly-structured internship programs. Lauren Bilbo, Career Fair Chair, Previous CF Director
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- ADVICE FOR THE BIG DAY With these helpful tips you can ensure that your time at the fair is enjoyable and that recruiters put that special mark on YOUR resume.
• Warm up! interested in, you can shake your nerves and practice your pitch to recruiters. • Change things up! Make your pitch unique or try to make the recruiter laugh. Recruiters listen for long hours to students giving similar pitches, so add something in your elevator pitch or dialogue that will make you memorable. • Stay CALM. You’ve done your research and are fully prepared to talk to any recruiter that you walk up to. Let that personality shine! • BE PATIENT. Waiting in line can be tiring and boring. Make the most of that time by reviewing your elevator pitch or doing some others in line; it helps with calming your nerves. • Good hygiene always helps. The career fair is a large crowd of nervous, sweaty engineers who might have just eaten that pizza with garlic and onions on it. Ensuring that you are smelling great and have fresh breath makes it much easier for recruiters to talk to you. This advice also applies to your dating life. • Don’t be afraid to check out the career fair! Practice makes perfect, and the earlier you start going to career fairs, the sooner you will become a pro at talking to recruiters!
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Interview Tips Now that you’ve blown away the recruiters during the Fair, it’s time to ace the interview and get that offer! Talk to friends about the types of interview questions they have had in the past. If you feel comfortable with a friend, have him/her ask you some questions. You don’t even have to answer, but take notes on how you would answer the questions. Here is a list of some of the most common interview questions that interviewers ask. Prepare yourself by thinking if how you might want to answer these ahead of time.
• Why are you interested in working for our company? • Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? • • • • • •
How was this resolved? When have you made a mistake and how did you react? How do you handle pressure? Tell me about your leadership experiences. What are your strengths and weaknesses? What questions do you have for me?
companies and learn their interview techniques. Then you will know if you should be expecting a technical or behavioral interview and you can prepare accordingly. Companies can ask you curve-ball questions that you aren’t ready for. Remember, DON’T PANIC. Most of the time they are just trying to see your thought process. questions if necessary before answering. At the end of the interview don’t be afraid to ask about the next steps in the company’s hiring process. It gives you peace of mind in terms of when you will hear back about the job, and further shows your interest to the interviewer!
Tau Beta Pi
The Engineering Honor Society
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