Ready? Set? Go! (To Fall CCD Events)
This blog post was written by Peer Career Ambassador, Calvin Wang ’19.
Hello everyone and welcome back on campus. Hopefully by now, you have settled into your new classes, dorms, and organizations and are ready to start the year off strong. This post will focus on being prepared and ready to jump into recruiting season, whether it’s for internships or for full time jobs. The staff at the CCD has worked very hard all summer to prepare a number of great events that will help kick start your summer 2018 career search. Included is a list of major upcoming events and some best practices in order to prepare, pitch, and follow up.
First, here is a list of the major events that this post aims to prepare you for:
- 9/11/2017 – Retail and CPG Spotlight
- 9/12/2017 – Accounting Spotlight
- 9/13/2017 – Finance Spotlight
- 9/14/2017 – Consulting Spotlight
- 9/15/2017 – Resumania (Alumni Weekend)
- 9/20/2017 – Career Expo
- 10/16/2017 – Social Impact Spotlight
- 11/10/2017 – Career 101
In brief, Spotlights are industry focused panels with alumni and current professionals in a certain field, ready to answer questions and help you prepare for recruiting in that particular space. The Career Expo, on the other hand, is a huge event with a Smorgasbord of employers from many industries, all ready and willing to hire Babson students. Spotlights are a great way of discovering what exactly it is you might want to do this summer, and the Career Expo is a great place for actually getting an interview/application in.
We’re going to break down the best practices into 3 sections: Preparation, During the Event, and Following Up.
Preparation:
- Take your resume to CCD and we will gladly help you prepare it for those events. Also, once your resume is ready to go, study it. This means knowing the flow of your resume, knowing what is where on your resume, knowing what your descriptions are for each job/experience, and being able to speak more in depth about those experiences than what is listed. This will help lots during the actual event, where employers might ask you more about your resume and they will be expecting you to know more about it than just surface level.
- Practice your introduction and personal pitch. Practice your introductory pitch. Good things to include could be where you are from, experiences you have had, what specifically within an industry you are interested in (eg: narrow “I like consulting” into “I am interested in consulting, especially regarding the marketing management area”), and why you are interested in their firm. Here’s an sample introduction:
“Hello! My name is Calvin Wang, a junior from Los Angeles, California. I worked in financial consulting over the summer and I am looking for more opportunities in finance, particularly asset management because _____________________. I am interested in your firm because _______________________.”
Work on your own pitch, spice it up a little, and make it memorable so that in a sea of students, the recruiter can actually remember you when they go home that day.
- Wear the right clothes! Business professional for men and women. No other way about it. You WILL stand out as poorly dressed if you do not show up in proper business attire.
During the Event:
- Drink some water. Constant talking can make you sound hoarse. Stay hydrated and perhaps even offer to get a cup of water for the recruiter you are speaking with – they have been talking even more than you have and will appreciate the generosity.
- Proper handshake and posture. Firm handshakes while looking them in the eye when you speak, while standing up straight. Simple things that will go a long way in giving an employer a good impression of you.
- Focus on what the recruiter is actually saying. Too many people just nod and move on. Ask questions about what your recruiter has said and show genuine interest. If you don’t actually like the company, just politely move on!
Follow Up:
- Send a thank you email! This cannot be more important in maintaining good relations and potentially helping you stand out amongst others who do not send a follow up or perhaps one that is not as well written as yours. Continue to reach out to them and maintain in contact with them after the career expo. It might land you a job in the future!
I hope these tips were helpful in your preparation for the upcoming CCD events. If you have any questions, please come into CCD! We look forward to seeing you!