Please give an example of a career fair DO:
Apex Systems, Inc.: A career fair DO would be to make
yourself as memorable as possible without going over the edge: give the
recruiter a nice resume, be outgoing, personable, ask for a business card, ask
what the interview process is like, express your interest in the position.
Arrow Electronics: Do ask questions. I can't tell if you're
really interested unless you show it.
Brown & Gay Engineers, Inc.:
DO:
*Dress
professionally
*Make eye contact and shake hands
*Keep breath mints with
you
*Take the time that you are spending seriously
*Bring your resume. If
it is two or more pages, make sure it is stapled.
*Check for typos! Your
resume is your lasting impression.
*Have a general idea of what you want to
do. If you don't know what you want to do, how are we supposed to know?
Cemex USA: Do ask for company literature, a business card,
when will we be interviewing on campus and express an interest in attending an
orientation session.
Conoco: DO be sure to clearly state your name and major,
and date of graduation. DO clearly define what type of work you are looking for
- i.e. summer employment, full-time job, etc.
Consolidated Graphics: DO come by our booth if you are
interested in getting an interview with us. While we schedule all interviews
through the career center, it makes a big impact if you come by and speak with
our representatives.
Deloitte & Touche: Do be up front and honest and pay
attention to the person you're talking to.
DuPont: Last, but not least - a day or two after, write the
employer a thank you note for the interview - hard copy (snail mail) - not by
e-mail. Society these days has lost so much formality the follow-up thank you
letter use to be standard fare, so these days when it occurs its a real
"delighter" for the potential employer and gives the interviewee one more
opportunity to sell themselves - however, keep it brief.
Enterprise Rent-a-Car: DO ask a lot of questions and have a
good idea of what you want in a position and career. If a recruiter asks you
what type of position you are looking for tell them about your work history and
career goals, DON'T respond what do you have. This response makes it sound as
if you do not really know what type of position you are looking for.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: Relax. Get over
nervous feelings by testing your approach and conversation skills on employers
that are not #1 on your list.
G Systems: Be relaxed. Remember that the student is
interviewing the company in addition to the company interviewing the
student.
Ask good questions:
What will I learn at the company or be
doing?
Why do you recruit at A&M?
GulfQuest: Do arrive 15 minutes early prepared and
professional (example: if you indicated you are an organized detailed oriented
individual and I asked to take a look at your day timer, what would I discover?
This always applies a dose of reality to a natural trained response).
Kiewit Industrial Co.: Be energetic and knowledgeable about
the company you are talking to. Ask specific questions to get the recruiters
interested in the student. Recruiters at Career Fairs always note those who
may be good interview candidates.
H-E-B Grocery Company: Career Fair DO - Try to impress the
recruiter in a few minutes. This is not a job interview and there are other
students waiting. Maintain good eye contact,offer a firm handshake, and prepare
a brief script about yourself.
JCPenney Company: A Career Fair DO is to be one of the
first through the door. It shows a sense of urgency, commitment and sincerity
that they are ready to start their career.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics: Come prepared with plenty of
resumes, a good cheerful attitude, a pretty good idea of what you would like to
do in a career (write software, do specific type of analysis, etc.), and some
general questions about how that fits into our company. Are you looking for an
internship, full-time, or just general info? When do you graduate and want to
start? Be patient. We normally bring 15 recruiters to the fair, and students
still have to wait to talk to us. We are doing the best we can, and we don't
want to shortchange anyone. If you want to have a long or detailed discussion,
come early or late. 11-3 is the busiest time. We are all former students who
want to hire as many Aggies as possible for our company. Let us help you. Wear
the nametag with your name, major, and grad date.
Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc.: Do have patience with the
employer's representative at the job fair since this is your first contact with
the company. The office environment thrives on empathy and compassion for fellow
employees. Remember the recruiters are human too and have had a long day. They
will remember who was rude and who was polite. You may be working in the same
office one day.
Reliant Energy: DO - Have a "creative" question in mind!
Not just "Are you located in Houston?" Really think about what you want to find
out about our company. We talk to over 800 students a day at a career
fair....the creative, thought-provoking questions will definitely stand
out.
S&B Engineers and Constructors, Ltd.: Do go up to
recruiters, look them in the eye, and be prepared to ask and answer questions
audibly and accurately. Shyness doesn't get you very far in a career fair
format. Politeness is also a big plus - try to reduce the "yeas" and
nahs.
Teague Nall and Perkins, Inc.: Ask questions; take
information and freebies; ask for advice as far as continuing your education,
interviewing tips, or an engineering career; be relaxed and be yourself; if
interested, send an e-mail a few days later to follow up and indicate your
interest in the company.
TXU: Register with career services and make certain that
you are prepared to have your resume and application online with TXU within 24
hours.
Womack Machine Supply: I believe that a Career Fair is for
students to start to find out what type of jobs are available and what kind of
career direction do they need to be pursuing. To that end, "50% of success is
just showing up." Take the time as a sophomore and junior to attend Career
Fairs. By the time a student is a senior, the job search should be focusing on a
few select companies in a select field.
Anonymous: DO introduce yourself to as many people as
possible. Tell them what you could do for their company. Sell yourself on your
technical qualifications. Your personal factors should sell themselves without
your saying anything. (i.e. Don't say, "I'm confident, outgoing, and motivated"
-- say, "I have designed...")
