Countdown to Career Fair: Two weeks! Joyce’s Career Tip of the Week

The Fulton Schools Career Fair is only two weeks away!

There are things you need to be doing now to make the most of your time at the event.

All of the companies who will be attending are listed in Handshake. Recruiters and hiring managers know that you have access to this information. Competitive applicants are prepared.

Go to the Events tab and “Find Career Fairs.” You will see “Fulton Fall 2018 Engineering Career Fair @ ASU Tempe Campus, Tuesday, 9/25/18 & Wednesday, 9/26/18 — Tuesday, September 25th 2018, 12:00 pm – Wednesday, September 26th 2018, 5:00 pm MST” and “Fulton Fall 2018 Engineering Career Fair @ ASU Polytechnic Campus, Thursday, 9/27/18.”

On the Tempe campus, Tuesday, September 25, 2018, is the event for graduate students and Wednesday, September 26, 2018, for undergraduates. All Fulton Schools Students are welcome at the Polytechnic campus fair on Thursday, September 27, 2018.

As you scroll through the list of participating companies, pay attention to the day they will be attending (in Tempe), which majors they are seeking and if they are looking to hire interns or new graduates for full-time positions. You can easily click links to company web pages.

Make a list of the companies that interest you. Based on what you have learned, start to rank the companies in order of your interest. For companies at the top of your list, do a Google search to find more information. Use LinkedIn to see who you know that might be able to chat with you and give you an insider’s perspective about the company.

For your top companies, check out the jobs they have posted on Handshake and apply. If the instructions indicate that you should also apply through the company website, do it!

Think about how you are going to introduce yourself to the recruiter at the career fair. In addition to stating your name, major and whether you are looking for an internship or a job, you should be able to convey that you know what the company does and why you would be a good fit.

Tell them that you applied through Handshake and on the company website (if applicable). Let them know that you are looking forward to interviewing. Take a minute to put yourself into the position of the recruiter. If you see that a student has taken the time to research your organization and fill out applications, doesn’t this indicate that this is a serious applicant who is worth getting to know better?

Finally, look at your weekly schedule and know your availability for the following day. Know when you can be available for an interview.

You can find more preparation information on the Fulton Career Center website.

Check out our schedule of events to help you be prepared.

You can also use Handshake to make appointments with Fulton Schools peer career coaches.

 

Joyce Donahue is a Certified Career Coach who works in the Fulton Schools Career Center.