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For OIT Students in the school of Engineering, Technology, and Management (ETM), yesterday was the Career Fair. This year, we've taken the approach of splitting the Career Fairs up so that each school has their equal face time; for the Fall, the School of ETM was the focus, and the Spring is for the school of Health, Arts and Sciences (HAS).
As both a student of ETM and employee of Career Services, I was pretty hyped for this Career Fair, and why wouldn't I be? I need a job when I graduate!
The ETM Career Fair had 37 employers show up looking for future employees - it's the most we've had since the recession happened. Although not every employer was seeking every student from every major, there was a demand of all capacities for all majors within the school.
I personally enjoyed speaking to representatives from Bend Broadband, Waste Management, Boeing, Kiewit, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Aside from the people that I got to meet, there was an incredible amount of SWAG to take home. Not going to lie, it was awesome.
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FOR STUDENTS THAT WERE LOOKING FOR JOBS:
There were over 200 hundred students at yesterday's career fair! And for the most part, if you attended the Career Fair, you were probably looking for a job.
So you just met the employer of your dreams. You like what the company is about, the HR Rep seemed super legit, and you walked away with a bag full of goodies, and hey, maybe an interview! So now what?
THANK THEM FOR THEIR TIME!
(Seriously, this is super important. This simple gesture pays off BIG if you want to work for them).
Recruiters appreciate the professionalism and careful attention shown by students who follow up on their Career Fair contacts. Very few job-seekers bother to follow up after fairs or interviews, which gives you a terrific opportunity to stand out! Follow these simple steps to move to the front of the candidate line:
- Refer to the business cards you collected during the Career Fair for recruiter contact info.
- Contact can be made through mail, email, or a phone call depending on your own preferences.
- Your message to the recruiter should include a thank you for taking the time to discuss job opportunities at their company, an expressed interest in pursuing a position there, an inquiry about the resume review and candidate selection process (if you have not already discussed it), and an interest in meeting with them to further discuss your qualifications.
- Though email is often a more casual form of communication, it is essential that you treat your follow up email as a formal letter (i.e., with appropriate headings, and a thorough spelling/grammar check).
Follow up should be completed as soon as possible after fairs and interviews. Do it today. Additional help and guidance is available in Career Services and the Student Success Center. Go to LRC228 to make an appointment or pick up print materials.
Lastly, Career Services wants to know - what did you have to say about this Career Fair? Were you hired? Find a dream job? Let us know!!
