3 Parting Questions for Recruiters at Career Fairs

Within the next few weeks, there are 3 on-campus career fairs : Connection Job Fair and Myers Lawson School of Construction Fair on Tuesday, October 20, and Civil and Environmental Engineering Fair on Tuesday, Oct. 27. As you get ready for these fairs, here are 3 questions to be sure you ask before you leave an employer’s booth.

The Ideal Candidate?

How would you describe your ideal candidate for this position? This is one of my favorite questions to ask in interviews. Career fairs aren't interviews, you may think. And yet, the brief time you have with a recruiter at a career fair really is a mini interview. I like the ideal candidate question because you can hear what the employer is looking for and figure out how you fit. When the employer finishes describing her ideal, then it’s time for you to speak up and share how match that ideal. Not sure what I mean?

Let’s say the employer says, they seek someone with customer service skills, leadership experience and strong communication skills. Then I could jump in and say, “You mentioned you would like someone good at customer service. I feel like I’ve been able to grow those skills in my role as a server, salesperson and teller in the various part-time positions I’ve held. And, for the past year, I was the leader of my 30-member study abroad group where I had to act as both a resident advisor, event planner and mediator. I feel like I’m building both my oral and written communication skills in my classes where I’ve had to write several research papers and also make presentations of my findings.” In an interview an employer is looking for the best fit. This question about their ideal allows you to prove how you fit.

Are you interviewing?

Before you leave your conversation with an employer at a career fair, be sure to inquire about next steps. Many employers stay after the day following a career fair to interview students. Ask an employer when they plan to do interviews. By asking, you might have the chance to talk to them the next day. If they’re not staying to interview, ask if they are returning to campus later this fall. Some employers do, as on-campus interviewing continues until December. To view on-campus interview opportunities, login to Hokies4Hire and read more about on-campus interviews here.

May I have your business card?

Finally, don’t depart an employer’s booth at a career fair until you have contact information for the employer. Ask for a business card. If the recruiter doesn’t have one, ask for an email address or phone number so you will be able to follow up. Follow up is key to success in your search for a job or internship.

SUCCESS!!! Ensuring you ask these 3 questions as you talk to employers at career fairs can make for better results as you attend career fairs.  Come see us in Career Services if you want help to improve your performance at career fairs and in interviews.

Career Exploration

If you ask a mentor, a parent, or a boss what job they thought they would have been when they were younger, chances are it is not the job they have currently.

It’s helpful to plan ahead for your career; but it is absolutely subject to change.

Career exploration is meant to encourage this variability. It allows you to look at the qualities of several jobs, as opposed to the job itself.

Self-reflect

So, take a second and think, “What am I good at and what do I like to do?” Strip away your education if that isn’t necessarily what you are passionate about. Just think, “My personality type would go really well in this line of work…”

But what if you don’t know your personality type? Take an assessment! There are tons out there, but here are a few of my favorites:

Personality Assessments

•  Myers Briggs personality assessment
•  Myplan.com
•  Strengths Quest

All of these assessments are excellent resources for you to start your career exploration. They provide positive reinforcement to your best qualities and insight into the type of careers that lie best with your interests.

The best piece of advice I have ever gotten was to network like no-one’s business. Not only does this get your own personal brand out there, but it also provides you with inherent knowledge about all the opportunity. You may cross paths with a Vice President of a fortune 200 company that works in the corporate communications department, but his background is in engineering and design work. Odds are he didn’t plan that career path, but he can tell you how he got there. That vice president probably just listened to what his co-workers told him he was good at, and followed the guide that is his personality.

Now let’s talk experience!

Whether you are student, a recent graduate, or have been working for several years, it’s always a good time to get experience  to test out your career or major choice. There are certainly many options for just that. You can get experience in graduate school, internships, organizations, volunteer positions, full-time jobs, etc. Notice how none of those necessarily require a specific major. It’s important to choose a major that’s right for you, but don’t feel like your major  will determine everything. Keep an open mind about exploring careers. Take the experience when you can, reflect on the parts that were positive, think about opportunity for improvement, and move forward in your career path.

If you have any questions about career and major exploration, check out this site on the Virginia Tech Career Services page.

Searching for a Job?

We know…there are just too many options!

When it comes to job searching, there really are no limits. Some of your friends may have picked up a job either through a prior experience or through a networking opportunity, coursework; whatever the case, there are endless opportunities out there.

My best  advice in your job searching is to never limit yourself in the jobs you are seeking. Although it is appropriate to use an advanced search, be careful about your keywords. Also, play to your strengths. What you may have done in the past may not necessarily be your future.

Places to look online: 

•  CareerShift
•  LinkedIn
• Hokies4Hire
• Plain and simple: a Google search

When a job in your field is posted, often times, you will see that they are using several portals to post the job.

Choose the user-friendliest site you know. I personally think CareerShift makes it easy to search, choose, and save postings. Often times, these sites will direct you to their company website or another job portal to apply. That’s okay! Just follow the steps it takes you on until you can submit.

In all of these resources, be sure to build some type of profile.

Personalizing yourself online, especially with job posting sites, speaks to your own brand and gives you an advantage because it enables employers to look for you while you are looking for them.

Building your profile includes: 

•  First and last name
•  Phone and email for easy contacting
•  A general version of your resume
• A headline stating what you are currently doing

 In online searching, I always like to think less is more…to some extent.

• I search the most important general key word I can think of that has relevance to what I want to do.
• Location is a big deal to me, because that affects the pay I would want to make.
• Therefore, I choose 4-5 different locations I would be willing to work in. You can choose to do less or more; however, do keep in mind the places you would really like to be at in the next stage of your life.
• I think it’s been really helpful to specify the experience level. This way my search results don’t get clouded with positions that I am far too under qualified for.
• With all that in mind, everything else should be a broad array of opportunities in terms of what you would be willing to apply to.
• Some shortcuts you could use would be sync up information from your LinkedIn account, or allow the job portal to pull information automatically from your resume; be sure to check the information gets plugged into the correct places.

More tips!

• Apply to as many openings as you can stand. It never hurts to have options.
•  Obviously by concerned with making those applications the best they can be. Always remember: quality AND quantity.
• Do follow-ups! Especially when it’s a job you really want. Phone is more personal, but email can work if a phone number isn’t available.
•  Be prepared to answer questions anytime anywhere (I once did an impromptu interview while at the gym, it helps to just practice your ability to compose really quickly).
• Always maintain contacts, even if a position you wanted isn’t available at the time, it’s possible something else may come around later. Just maintain grace with your contact; check in every now and then, and eventually your name may be called.
• Save a version of a really solid resume and cover letter. Throughout your experiences applying to jobs, tweak these documents to cater to the specific companies. This saves you time and it personalizes your applications.

Job searching can be a really fun process! Be flexible, efficient, and open to possibilities; and you’ll land yourself a pretty fun opportunity. 

Mock Interviews = S U C C E S S

You've heard it since you started playing the piano or t-ball when you were 5 years old.

"Practice makes perfect." 

This principle really does ring true for success at different sports, musical performances, and lots of other activities, including interviews. As the fall recruiting season starts up, you may find yourself preparing for more than one interview. What can help?

A mock interview.

Consider Jenna (true story but changed her name): A couple of years ago, Jenna had to do a mock interview in Career Services as part of a class assignment. Lucky for her, this practice took place prior to a real interview for a co-op position. Jenna aced her co-op interview and got the job. And, the success didn't stop there. This fall, Jenna started her senior year with a full-time offer in hand from her co-op employer.

Build your confidence.

And then there's David (true story but changed his name): David took the same class that Jenna did and had a tough time in his mock interview. Why? His GPA wasn't as high as he would like it to be, and he just couldn't get past it. His low GPA made him really down on himself. You can't be like that in an interview...there is no one in the room to sell the employer on what you bring and how you add value, except you. David took time to do some self-exploration with a career advisor and worked at thinking and speaking about himself in a more positive light. As a result, David interviewed successfully to land a summer internship this past summer.

We can tell lots more success stories that center around our Mock Interview Program in Career Services. If you want to work to achieve success in your next interview, call 540-231-6241 to set up an interview that fits your schedule. We allow an hour for these interviews where we spend 15 - 20 minutes asking you typical questions used in initial interviews. Then, we spend the rest of the hour discussing your performance and providing tips to improve. Equipped with video cameras, we are able to tape your session where you can watch yourself later as much as you want.

And, if you can't make it for an in-person mock interview, no worries. You can practice sitting right in front of your computer with Interview Stream. This resource provides prerecorded interviewers asking the questions and tapes your replies. When complete, you can send the video file to a friend, a family member, or a professor to review. Or, you can set up a time to meet with one of our Career Advisors to critique this interview.

What are you waiting for? Experience the success that Jenna and David did by adding a mock interview to your fall schedule. What's the equation for interview success? Score a job offer with a mock interview before your next interview! Forget algebra. Here's an easy equation for you to remember - when it comes to interviews,

Mock Interviews  =  S  U  C  C  E  S  S

Done with the job fairs? On to the next step: Interviews!

You may have recently attended a job fair or applied to your dream job or may just be shopping around for another experience. Whatever the case may be, you aren’t done yet. You still have one more step until you can transition into that next position. Interviewing gives you the chance to finally put your money where your mouth is. In other words, it’s time for the employer to get to know you as more than just what your resume says.

So how do you properly prepare for an interview? Like many situations, preparing just means practice.

Step one: Research! Get to know who you could potentially be working with.

• Review their company website
• Catch up on their most recent updates through social media
• Memorize key words and statements from your research
• Possibly learn about the individual who plans to interview you *It always helps to establish a relationship

Step two: Prepare your best game day outfit.

• Dress the part in business professional
•  Review the Career Services site to know what exactly that means
• Here is a visual aid if you don’t want to search too hard

Step three: Practice your demeanor.

• Practice your handshake: firm, but not too firm
• Sit upright and maintain an appropriate amount of eye contact
• Try your best not to fidget or touch your face/hair
•  One tip I always stuck to was making sure my hands are grabbing the hand rests so I know I’m not making distractions

Step four: Figure out what you want to reply to a series of expected questions.

Employers almost often ask these questions - make sure you have a basic response to each of them.  

• “Tell me about yourself.”
•  “Why do you think you would make a good candidate for this job?”
• “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
•  “Name one time where something didn’t work out the way you expected it to and how did you handle it?”
• “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”

Ensure your responses reflect your skills and that you can back up all of your claims with evidence, such as a past experience.

Step five: PRACTICE.

• Combine all of these steps and practice your interviewing; do it with your parents, your friends, your mentors, your co-workers, anyone!
• Too shy to do talk to someone else? Try practicing in a mirror or videotaping yourself. In any scenario, practice the words you expect to be saying.
• Practice in a Mock Interview through Career Services or using Interview Stream.

For more interviewing tips, visit the Career Services website for links to more resources, tips and advice. 

Good Luck!

Written by Olivia Brescia, Peer Career Advisor

Are you ready for career fairs in September? Prepare with our Career Fair Bucket List

The fall is a busy time for career fairs at Virginia Tech. There are 3 in one week in September and more in October, including Career Services' Fall Connection Fair. Not sure how to prepare? Follow the tips below on our Career Fair Bucket List. See if you can check off all the recommendations!

Come see us in Career Services if we can help you prepare for career fairs or talk about other ways to find a job or internship!

Ready to head to VT? Don't forget to pack these 4

Have you finished your packing to head to Virginia Tech yet? Wait!

There are 4 things to add to your packing list for the 2015-16 academic year. No worries, though, for they won’t take up extra space in your suitcase or your vehicle. And, if you're already here, you can still work on these. What do I want you to bring with you this year? One word relates to all 4 of them:

OPEN

Here’s your Packing List to join the Hokie Nation:

OPEN your schedule to new experiences. College is all about exploring new frontiers. Embrace the curiosity you had when you were little. Attend an event that you would not normally go to. Learn a foreign language. Take a class in a subject that you don’t know anything about. I did that and the subject ended up being my major because in the first class I had, Dr. Stern made the topic come to life. Along with being an engaging professor, Dr. Stern had a genuine interest in his students and worked hard to connect with us. In the Division of Student Affairs we call this goal we have for students committing to unwavering curiosity.

OPEN your mind. The next four years or more give you an opportunity to broaden your understanding of yourself and others. By pursuing self-understanding and integrity while you’re here, you’ll gain greater self-knowledge and be able to stay true to your beliefs as well as work to understand beliefs different from your own by practicing civility and respect as you encounter those differences. Career Services provides a number of tools for you to grow your self-knowledge and our Intercultural Engagement office offers programs for you to grow in your understanding of others.

OPEN your hands. This university attracts students who want to give back. There are lots of ways for you to open your hands while you’re at Virginia Tech, whether it’s getting involved in VT Engage, an alternative spring break program, the BIG EVENT, Cranwell International Center, a philanthropy through your student organization, or some other means. The possibilities are endless for you to help those who can’t help themselves or are on the fringes in your role as a courageous leader.

OPEN your heart. Our university motto, Ut Prosim, That I May Serve, calls to us to do this.  As you continue to learn what it means to be a Hokie, this principle is at the center of it all. How will you open your heart to serve this university, the community, the nation and the world and its people?

Bring these 4 with you, and you'll represent the Hokie Nation.

We welcome you with OPEN arms.