10 Days of Expo: Last-minute tips

September 29, 2010

The Career Center’s Fall Career Expo is finally here!  You can take a look at our previous nine days of advice and featured employers if you missed anything, but we’re not going to inundate you with too much additional info today.

With that in mind, here’s just a few last-minute things to think about today before heading to the Expo:

  • Print copies of your resume beforehand.  Sure, you could print copies at the Union when you get there, but be prepared to wait in a huge line for a computer.  The basic printer paper in those machines isn’t great anyway, so your best bet is to print at home using some nicer quality resume paper.
  • Don’t forget a pen/pencil and notebook so that you can write down a few notes about who you’ve talked to and what you talked about.  This will come in handy later when you follow-up with recruiters.
  • If you expect that your shoes/heels will hurt your feet, consider wearing sandals or tennis shoes for the walk over.  You can change when you get to the Union and at least stave off that uncomfortable feeling for a little while.
  • Even for the most confident person, Expo can be a little intimidating at first.  We’ll have a Career Center info table set up, so you can stop by and chat with us if you need some in-the-moment pointers or a confidence boost!

Remember, these organizations are here to see you!  Smile, offer up a firm handshake, and go meet some potential employers!

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Posted by Scott Tsuchiyama

10 Days of Expo: How to Follow-Up with Recruiters

September 28, 2010

The Career Center’s Fall Career Expo is coming up on September 29th, and in order to help you prepare, we’re running a series called “10 Days of Expo.” Each day until 9/29 we’ll discuss helpful tips and information, along with some featured employers that will be in attendance (check out the previous few days if you’ve missed them). Today we offer a few thoughts on how to follow-up with employers.

Hopefully you’re feeling confident that you’ll make a good impression on some recruiters tomorrow at The Career Center’s Fall Career Expo.  This is just the beginning though — no one is going to be making job offers on the spot!  A handful of these organizations will be on-campus the following day to conduct first-round interviews based on candidates they see the day of Expo.  Many others have positions posted on Career Center Connector and/or their company website, and will expect you to officially submit your application online.  In order to take advantage of the connections you’ve made at Expo, it’s important to follow-up with the people you’ve met, in order to thank them, demonstrate your interest in the position, and provide any additional information that would be helpful.  Coming to Expo is their way of reaching out to you, so now it’s up to you to take the next steps in the process!  Here’s a few things to think about before, during, and after the Expo in order to appropriately follow-up with recruiters:

Bring enough copies of your resume to provide to organization representatives. That way when you do follow up, they’ll be able to find yours, pull it out of the pile, and better remember you.

Take mental notes (or real ones, if you must) as you’re speaking to recruiters.  This way you don’t forget what you talked about, which organizations stood out to you, and most importantly, why they stood out.

Ask for a business card.  There’s nothing worse than having a great conversation, and being unable to follow-up because you don’t have contact information!

Don’t wait around. Some of the recruiters are Human Resources reps, busy traveling around the country to a number of different schools. Others don’t work in HR and have their day job to go back to. If you want to follow up, try to do it after you get home from Expo or the next day, so that your message doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.

Put some thought into your message, and remind the recruiter what you talked about (their company, your skills, a story they told you, etc.).  If you only follow up with a generic response about how great it was to meet them, there’s no way you’ll stand out.  And don’t forget to say “thank you!”

Don’t pester. Persistence is good, but there’s a fine line between that and annoyance.  Sometimes recruiters are too busy to respond immediately, so don’t send multiple emails just because you didn’t receive a response within the week.  Make sure you cover your bases by applying for positions through standard channels like Career Center Connector, or the company’s website.

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Posted by Scott Tsuchiyama

10 Days of Expo: Take your preparation to the next level

September 27, 2010

The Career Center’s Fall Career Expo is coming up on September 29th, and in order to help you prepare, we’re running a series called “10 Days of Expo.” Each day until 9/29 we’ll discuss helpful tips and information, along with some featured employers that will be in attendance (check out the previous few days if you’ve missed them). Today we give you a few ways to build on your preparation this past week.

You’ve faithfully read the 10 Days of Expo series. You’ve followed all of our tips; researched Expo employers, considered your pitch, and figured out what you’re going to wear. With two days to go, is there anything else you can do?

Here are a few homework assignments to take your Expo prep to the next level:

Kick up your research
There are several employer presentations coming up in the next couple of days.  Attend a presentation and do some in person research.  The added bonus: it gives you a chance to practice your pitch!

Connect your research to you!  List out 2-3 stories that demonstrate the skills you learned about through your research. Be specific:  “This is an example of leadership because (fill in the blank)” or “These classes developed my writing skills by (fill in the blank again).”

Practice Out Loud
You’ve gone over it a million times in your head.  Now practice your pitch out loud.   Pick 2-3 friends and ask them to practice with you.  Sometimes what sounds great in your head doesn’t work as well out loud.  Practicing out loud helps you make sure the employers hear your best pitch.

Dress For Success
Avoid any Expo day surprises and check out your planned outfit in advance.  Is the blouse/shirt ironed and ready to go?  Do the shoes need a quick polish?  If you haven’t worn your “dress-up” clothes for awhile, it’s better to take a quick look the night before than to find a stain the day of Expo.

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Posted by Sally Schueneman

10 Days of Expo: Management/Leadership Development Programs

September 26, 2010

The Career Center’s Fall Career Expo is coming up on September 29th, and in order to help you prepare, we’re running a series called “10 Days of Expo.” Each day until 9/29 we’ll discuss helpful tips and information, along with some featured employers that will be in attendance (check out the previous few days if you’ve missed them). Today we talk about management/leadership development programs for recent grads.

You’ve heard about summer internships, and how they are a great opportunity to try out an organization or industry while you are an undergraduate. Management development programs (or management training programs) offer a similar opportunity after graduation. They typically involve a two-year commitment (sometimes with a rotation around different areas of an organization), with extensive mentoring and other professional development opportunities. It’s a great opportunity for young graduates to find their strengths and interests in a real-world environment, while allowing companies the chance to try out a new hire for a limited time period. Most often, a management development program will culminate in a more permanent job offer.

These types of programs are on the rise, and some of the organizations attending The Career Center’s Fall Career Expo offer these training and development opportunities. Here are some examples of very different organizations that will be at Expo recruiting for their management development opportunities:

For an example right here in Michigan, the Citizen’s Insurance Company in Howell offers positions in its “Future Leaders Program.” According to Tony Tristani, the Director of College Recruiting at Hanover (the parent company of Citizens), this highly competitive program is open to college graduates in all majors with “strong leadership potential” and at least a 3.0 GPA. Rather than a rotation, students are placed according to their skill set, but get exposure to many different areas of the company, including senior management. It offers two tracks: business management and risk management. You can read more about the program at their listing on Career Center Connector, or at Hanover.com. There is also a summer internship program for current students.

As an out-of-state example, Citizen Schools has an attractive a two-year leadership development program. Located in urban areas across the country (MA, NY, NJ, CA, NC, TX, and NM), this non-profit organization partners with middle schools in low-income areas to increase after-school learning. This program hires lots of UM students – in fact, a former UM student, Sheldon Johnson, is a graduate of the program who currently serves as its recruitment manager. Sheldon will be coming to Fall Career Expo as a representative for Citizen Schools.

Sheldon says that what is so great about this program is that it really tries to match up new hires with their career interests. He personally was most interested in non-profit management, but other UM graduates have gained business skills working in areas like finance and fund-raising, in addition to spending the time with students.

While on campus, Sheldon will be looking for students in any major, with a passion for education. Experience with student teaching is helpful, but definitely not necessary. You can apply for this program via Career Center Connector.

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Posted by kirstenherold

10 Days of Expo – What should I wear?

September 25, 2010

The Career Center’s Fall Career Expo is coming up on September 29th, and in order to help you prepare, we’re running a series called “10 Days of Expo.” Each day until 9/29 we’ll discuss helpful tips and information, along with some featured employers that will be in attendance (check out the previous few days if you’ve missed them). Today we talk about what to wear.

“Remember, when you’re interviewing for a job, you don’t want the focus to be on your clothes. You want it to be on you, and your qualifications.”

-Jesse Thorn, Put This On

The Career Center’s Fall Career Expo may not be a job interview, but it is your first opportunity to meet a recruiter face-to-face. You want to make a good impression, and as Jesse explains so clearly in the quote above, that impression should be made by you, rather than by what you’re wearing. While a t-shirt and jeans at the Expo is almost always inappropriate, there’s a little more to it than simply putting on ‘nicer’ clothes than what you’d wear to class.

Your safest bet is to dress ‘business casual.’ For men, this means a tucked-in, collared shirt (dress or polo), dress slacks or khakis, dark socks, and a decent-looking pair of shoes (no sneakers). Ties are optional. For women, a blouse or sweater, skirt or dress slacks, and either flats or low heel shoes. Here’s a handy dress code guide. For either sex, try to stay away from clothes in particularly loud colors and patterns, and anything that’s too revealing.

You don’t need to be the best-dressed person in the Union on Wednesday, but it’s important that you don’t stand out for the wrong reasons. Here’s some of the more egregious things we’ve seen over the years:

T-shirts, particularly ones with sayings on them. It’s not the time for clever sayings. Also, “Welcome to the Gun Show” isn’t clever anyway.

Athletic clothing (jerseys, hoodies, etc.). This is Fall Career Expo, not a Football Saturday.

Low-cut blouse or shirt. It’s also not Friday night at Rick’s.

Six inch heels. See above.

WAY too much cologne or perfume. Apply it sparingly, not as a replacement for a shower.

If you don’t have time to head home after/between class, it’s best to wear your nicer clothes all day. However, if there’s no way of getting around wearing something less-appropriate (e.g. you play a sport and came right from practice) it’s better to show up in that, than to skip Expo all together.

The above info should suffice, but if you’d like to get a little more nuanced, it’s appropriate to try and dress toward the industry or companies you’re interested in. This means that for traditionally conservative/corporate industries like finance and banking, it’s not out of the question for you to wear a suit and, if you’re a man, a tie as well (here’s how to tie one, if you need help). If you’re applying to an organization in a less conservative field it may be more appropriate to show some personality with your attire — however, your clothing should never be more memorable than you are. For example, adding a pop of extra color with an accessory (necklace, bracelet) or your tie might help you feel slightly less “corporate,” and would be fine to wear at Expo. On the other hand, the t-shirt and blazer combo doesn’t make you look interesting, it just makes you look like you can’t decide whether you’d rather be looking for a job or working out at the IM building.

Lastly, in case you feel the need to grab something to wear before Expo, here’s a few somewhat cost-effective options right in Ann Arbor (I’m not endorsing any of these, simply offering up a few options):

  • Express has some pretty ‘clubby’ clothes, but if you stick to their more dressy options like dress shirts, skirts, and dress pants, you’ll be fine. There’s an ‘up to 60% off’ sale going on right now. Express is located in Briarwood Mall.
  • Gap is having a sale right now as well, and is a good option for shirts, sweaters, pants, and blouses. They are also located at Briarwood.
  • Let’s not forget Expo participant, Target. They’re a nice, inexpensive option for just about any of the aforementioned items. Target has locations at Saline Rd. and at Carpenter Rd.

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Posted by Scott Tsuchiyama

10 Days of Expo – What do I say to recruiters?

September 24, 2010

The Career Center’s Fall Career Expo is coming up on September 29th, and in order to help you prepare, we’re running a series called “10 Days of Expo.” Each day until 9/29 we’ll discuss helpful tips and information, along with some featured employers that will be in attendance (check out the previous few days if you’ve missed them). Today we talk about how to come up with a short, but effective way of introducing yourself to recruiters at the Expo.

You’ve looked at the list. You’ve done some research. It wasn’t enough, though. It’s Fall Career Expo, you’re the next person in line at an employer table, and you have no idea what to say when it’s your turn.

Relax. That moment isn’t inevitable, but to avoid it does require preparation. Narrowing your list down to a handful of organizations and learning more about them through research is a great start. Yet the most fundamental piece of information that you need to know going into Expo isn’t something you can get from an organization’s website. You need to know what you bring to the table. The skills that you have to offer. Don’t get hung up on titles, or your major, or whether or not you’ve held a bunch of internships with well-known organizations. Those things are only useful insofar as they can be a vehicle to describe your skills. It’s what you did, and what it took to accomplish those things, that will show a potential employer that you’re someone to remember.

When it comes to demonstrating the value of your academic experience, it’s important to focus less on the specific topics you’re learning, and instead on the generalizable skills that it takes to succeed in your academic program. Research and inquiry, critical thinking, problem solving, and communication are just a few of the skills that employers are looking for most in recent graduates. You’ll notice two things about that list:

  1. Those skills are not attached directly to any specific major
  2. Those skills are the hallmark of many liberal arts grads

Think about how you demonstrated those skills in your courses, particularly the skills you liked to use. We have Career Guides on our website for many majors, so take a look there if you need some help.

Talking about extracurricular involvement is often missed, yet it’s something that so many Michigan students bring to the table. We have over 1200 registered student organizations on campus, and there’s a good chance that you have had a deep level of involvement with at least one organization on campus in your time here. The beauty of extracurricular experience is because organizations are student-run, it means that you’ve had the chance to make a direct impact on the successes of your group in ways that you may have been unable to do in a job or internship.

But how do you talk about it? “Leadership experience” is the thing most students list as a takeaway from their extracurricular activity, but I think that’s a somewhat lazy answer. What do you mean when you say “leadership”? Be specific, pointing out the way you used organizational skills to coordinate all the members of your exec board as you successfully planned an event. Or the way you sought out younger members of the group and provided mentorship as they became more involved and invested in the organization’s success. Simply being ‘in-charge’ of some area of your organization tells them nothing. I’ll say it again because this is important: it’s the skills and accomplishments that you need to highlight.

It’s time to put it all together. Despite the hundreds of other students in the room, you know exactly what you bring to the table, and why you’re standing in front of each employer’s table waiting to chat with them. You’ve matched your skills to the job and company descriptions you’ve seen in your organization research. Going beyond the simple “name + major” introduction, briefly (about 30 seconds) describe yourself. For example, you could mention that you study psychology because of your interest in how the mind works, particularly in what motivates people. You’ve used some of that knowledge in practical ways as you helped with marketing and recruitment for Dance Marathon, encouraging more students to join as dancers or donate to the cause. You can finish up by explaining that those are the reasons you’re interested in marketing and advertising, and would love to learn more about what sorts of opportunities their company offers for people like you. The rest of the conversation will depend on the direction that you and the recruiter take it, but remember: focus on skills, interests, and accomplishments! Talking about these three things as they relate to the work the company does will be your best way to make a strong impression.

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Posted by Scott Tsuchiyama

10 Days of Expo – Researching Organizations

September 23, 2010

The Career Center’s Fall Career Expo is coming up on September 29th, and in order to help you prepare, we’re running a series called “10 Days of Expo.” Each day until 9/29 we’ll discuss helpful tips and information, along with some featured employers that will be in attendance (check out the previous few days if you’ve missed them). Today we talk about how to research the attending organizations, something you can do this week or over the weekend.

With The Career Center’s Fall Career Expo 6 days away, you might be wondering about the best way to prepare yourself.  One option is to stroll in, wander around aimlessly, and ask questions like, “Hello, do you have any jobs?” or “What’s your starting pay?” This is not recommended.

A better option is to pick 3-5 employers and do some research ahead of time.  You should be prepared enough to ask specific questions, in order to start a conversation.  Through your questions and responses, you should show that you are a good fit within the organization, and that you have the skills important to working in your chosen field.   But how do you do that?

Fortunately, the Career Center has lots of helpful resources to help you think about the types of information you should gather about the organization.  The organization’s website is a great starting point, but our list of resources also includes sites like Career Search and Glassdoor that include valuable information about many companies. If you are on LinkedIn, see if anyone in your network works for the organization you are exploring.

Many of the employers who are coming to Expo also have job postings on Career Center Connector.   If you haven’t already, log-in to your account and take a look at the job descriptions.   And don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because an organization may be associated with a specific industry (like engineering) that they are not interested in liberal arts majors.

Finally, don’t forget to look up recent news about the employer at sites like the Wall Street Journal or through Google News — perhaps it recently developed a promising new patent, won a prestigious award, or made record profits.  Sound informed!  Of course, some publicity may be better ignored – especially if you are really interested in working for the organization!

Once you have this information, you should be ready to ask some questions geared toward the specific employers. Here’s a few general questions that you can tailor, in order to get you started:

“Since I am really interested in a career in X, what would you recommend I do on campus to prepare for it?” 

“What additional training or education should I look for to get a job in this field?” 

“How did you learn about and apply for your position?”

So check out the list of organizations coming to the Expo, pick out a handful that intrigue you, and get to work!

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Posted by kirstenherold

10 Days of Expo – What’s in a name?

September 22, 2010

The Career Center’s Fall Career Expo is coming up on September 29th, and in order to help you prepare, we’re running a series called “10 Days of Expo.” Each day until 9/29 we’ll discuss helpful tips and information, along with some featured employers that will be in attendance (here’s the day one and day two posts in case you missed them). Today, our Career Events Manager, Sally, explains why you shouldn’t take the company’s name or listed industry at face value when exploring your options.

Reviewing the list of participating organizations is a good way to start preparing for The Career Center’s Fall Career Expo. You’ll recognize some of the names from commercials or products you use. Many will be new to you and, with 90+ organizations, it can be a little overwhelming. Where do you start?  How do you find the opportunities that fit your interests? Personally, I’d look at every single organization, but I’m the type of person who likes to see every option. With busy schedules, though, that’s not always the most practical approach.  I’d suggest you create your own list of a handful of organizations. Here’s how:

It’s easy to look at the list and say, it’s all “business” industries (consulting, banking and marketing). It’s true, career fairs do tend to be pretty corporate and you’ll definitely see those types of positions at the Fall Expo. But “business-y” sounding organizations still have some really interesting “non-business-y” jobs/internships.  For example, Amway, part of the consumer goods industry, is recruiting for science and research internships.  Alcoa lists itself as a manufacturing organization, yet they’re recruiting for human resources. This is why I’m not a big fan of searching by industry.  If you never looked under consumer goods or manufacturing, you’d miss those opportunities.

Instead of narrowing the list by industry, start with the “Attending For” search option (eg: full-time or internship) and, then, if you like, by location.  Start with your top 2-3 locations and then add more when you have time.  As you review your list, focus less on the organization name and more on the job titles/descriptions for each organization, located on the far right side of each organization’s entry.  Underline the verbs to get a sense of the skills needed and compare that to your own experiences and interests.  If you do opt for the industry search feature, use a variety of categories to see more options.

What if you’re interested in non-profits and/or government organizations?  Don’t let the “business” nature of career fairs fake you out — there are 15 non-profit and/or government organizations attending the Fall Expo.  They range from education to research, and more.  While 15 isn’t a huge number, it’s still a chance to connect with some great organizations without leaving campus.  Here’s the one time I’m okay with the industry search….if you’re looking for government organizations, search by “Government-Federal”.   For the non-profits I’d start with the industry search (non-profit/philanthropy) but also add health care or education since many of the non-profits attending selected the categories.

Have fun looking at the list, there’s lots of great organizations coming to meet you!  And if you have questions, make an appointment to chat with us.

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Posted by Sally Schueneman

10 Days of Expo – Should You Attend?

September 21, 2010

The Career Center’s Fall Career Expo is coming up on September 29th, and in order to help you prepare, we’re running a series called “10 Days of Expo.” Each day until 9/29 we’ll discuss helpful tips and information, along with some featured employers that will be in attendance (here’s the day one post in case you missed it). Today, our Career Events Manager, Sally, talks about who should attend expo.

I could give you a hundred reasons why I think Fall Career Expo has something to offer everyone, but I think our new peer advisors’ stories say it better:

Lizzy, a junior majoring in Spanish and Communications, has been going to Fall Career Expo since she was a first year student, even though she knows it’s not common for students to attend in their first year:

Going as a 1st year and sophomore gave me a chance to try out wearing a suit, shaking hands and waiting in lines.  It was great practice: getting comfortable talking with employers and building relationships for this year.

Chatoris went last year a sophomore (he’s a Political Science major) and even though he was a little bummed that most of the internships were for juniors, he didn’t get discouraged. Chatoris had a great conversation with L’Oreal; they invited him to their presentation later that night and he stayed in email contact with the recruiter during the year:

I still gave out resumes and didn’t feel like it was a waste of my time because ultimately it will benefit me.  Going as a sophomore really helped me get prepared for going back this year and re-connecting with L’Oreal and other organizations with internships.

In his first and second year, Kyle mostly just “poked his head in” but by his junior he says he “got the routine:”

I picked 5 organizations, did my research and started to get interviews.  Now, as a senior majoring in Public Policy, I’m looking forward to this year’s Expo.  I know what to say when I walk up to the table and I’m ready to network more.

Kyle’s biggest tip:  Grab a business card and send a follow-up email right away.  The person at the Fall Expo has a say in what happens and if they remember you it can make a difference.

Want to hear more about Lizzy, Chatoris and Kyle’s Expo stories or get tips from the rest of our peer advising team?  Schedule an appointment with them today.

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Posted by Sally Schueneman

10 Days of Expo – Kick Off Your Search

September 20, 2010

The Career Center’s Fall Career Expo is coming up on September 29th, and in order to help you prepare, we’re running a series called “10 Days of Expo.” Each day until 9/29 we’ll discuss helpful tips and information, along with some featured employers that will be in attendance. Today, our Career Events Manager, Sally, talks about how this is a great time to kick off your job or internship search.

I walked around the Union today try to scope out some extra space for The Career Center’s Fall Career Expo…it’s going to be huge!  As the person who plans The Career Center’s events, needing more space is a great problem to have!  I love that our employer attendance is up this year (almost 90 organizations) and I’m excited about all the amazing job/internship opportunities for students!

As a student attending the Expo, I hope you’re excited too.  But I also know you might feel a little overwhelmed.  You’ve only been back on campus a couple of weeks and we’re asking you to get your resume together, prepare to introduce yourself to potential employers, and think about jobs and internships.

And you’re right – the Expo is early and it can be overwhelming.  There’s really no way around it.  However, there are a couple things I’ve learned from chatting with recruiters that might help make it a more exciting and less overwhelming experience for you.

Stryker, Oak Ridge National Lab, MATCH Corp and the other 80+ organizations are coming to see you! Organizations don’t recruit at every university/college.  They are very selective in their recruiting efforts, choosing maybe 5-7 (or less) schools to visit each year.  They come because they believe Michigan students, whether through academics, extracurricular and/or volunteer experiences, have something unique to bring to their organization. And, they’re specifically coming to The Career Center event because they’re open to meeting a variety of majors for a range of positions.

This doesn’t mean that you can walk through Expo on the MGoBlue spirit alone.  You’ll still want to do some preparation (check out the list of attending organizations and their job descriptions), however, you can approach an employer table with confidence knowing that the recruiters are eager to meet you.

When we say “kick off your job/internship search at Expo,” we mean it.  Fall Expo is the real thing and truly a great way to start your job/internship activities. For organizations like Capital One, Target, and about 30 others, it’s their first step in screening resumes/candidates for interviews at The Career Center later in the semester.  And, for about 60% of the Expo employers, this is their first and only visit to campus.  They use the Expo to collect resumes and screen candidates for the next step in their hiring process.  They may “just” refer you to their website to submit an application, but rest assured they’re attending this event because they want to meet candidates.  Believe me — if they only wanted website applications they wouldn’t attend.  While you won’t walk away from Expo with a job or internship offer in hand, it’s your opportunity to kick-off your search by meeting recruiters face-to-face and by making a lasting impression.

2 Comments | General Advising | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Sally Schueneman

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