Stand out from the crowd
One of the best ways to find your next career opportunity is to attend a recruiting event. CICS Careers brings employers to you throughout the year to help students make a strong impression and get the interview invite. Some of our most popular events are the Tech Fair and Partner Mixers in the fall, Hack(H)er413 and the Engineering Fair in the winter, and the Startup Recruiting Night in the spring.
Before the Event
Learn about the employers
- Filter on hiring details such as degree, sponsorship, major, and position types
- Visit employer websites, including the recruiting/careers pages
- Search for recent news, browse social media posts, and read blogs
Create an employer-specific list of questions
- Show initiative by integrating information learned through your research
- Prioritize your most pressing, best questions first
- Leave space for your notes and follow-up information
Prepare an elevator pitch
- Create and practice your elevator pitch to introduce yourself to employers
- Practice telling your success stories with the S.T.A.R. Method
Have your resume ready
- Upload your resume to your profile
- Have a public link to your resume ready (Google Drive, Handshake or alternative site)
Book time to talk
- Schedule 1:1 meetings/sessions with employers (first-come first-serve but more will be added)
During the Event
Attend scheduled meetings
- For your favorite employers, try to schedule a 1:1 meetings/sessions
- Don't be surprised when they tell you to "apply online" -- an official application is usually needed to track applicants
Take notes
- Write down answers to your questions and highlights from the conversation
- Record the representative's preferred way for you to follow up with other questions (email, LinkedIn)
Questions to ask
- You want your questions to be as specific as possible to the organization that the recruiter is representing. When in doubt, be as detailed as possible in your questioning.
- Ex: Instead of "What kind of projects are your company working on?" ask "I see your company is using Natural Language Processing to predict patient risk factors. I am taking an NLP course and want to work in the healthcare industry. How might an intern contribute to these projects?"
- Ex: Instead of "What kind of roles does your company have?" ask "I am interested in becoming a full-stack software developer in your fintech engineering group. I enjoy using my Java and AWS skills to create features that customers will love. What do you think distinguishes top performers in this role?"
Show proper etiquette
- Be on time to your scheduled 1:1 meetings and don't go over your time
- In multi-person group meetings, listen and don't monopolize the employer's time
- Treat all representatives, whether they are recruiters, alumni or hiring managers, with respect
- Say thank you!
After the Event
Organize your notes
- Focus on next steps
- Summarize key takeaways
Write thank-you notes
- Begin by helping them remember you by mentioning a connection or your discussion
- Share some of your most relevant next steps and key takeaways
- Attach your resume
- Send a customized LinkedIn request
Apply to opportunities
- View job openings on the employer's website
- If the employer told you to apply for a specific job, do it ASAP
- Send a follow-up message to let them know you applied
Many students share that these recruiting events helped them get an internship or job. We hope that with practice, you will learn how to take full advantage of these opportunities.
