Etiquette – Page 7 – Penn & Beyond

Connecting Effectively At Career Fairs

By Claire Klieger

With three days of career fairs this week, it is important to have a game plan for connecting with recruiters at these events. It’s kind of like speed dating (complete with the awkward pauses or but hopefully not inappropriate questions)– You have a very short amount of time to make a positive impression and unlike during a job interview, you will be expected to initiate and possibly steer the conversation. Clearly, this means taking some time to prepare (and possibly practice) so that you don’t have do one of those awkward moments where you walk up to a table, open your mouth, have your mind go blank, and merely walk away. Here are some tips for making the most of your experience at any career fair:

Career Fair Tips from Penn Career Services on Vimeo.

1. Have a game plan. Since each of these events is quite large, it can be easy to get overwhelmed merely by the large number of tables in a room. You can see the list of which employers will be attending all of these career fairs on PennLink. Figure out which employers you’re most interested in seeing so that you can budget your time accordingly.

2. Do your homework! Do a little research on each employer of interest. Be familiar with their mission and services so that you are asking good questions when you meet them. Nothing is less impressive than someone who walks up to a table and says, “So, what do you do?”

3. Prepare questions in advance. You will sound (and feel) much more confident if you know in advance what you plan to ask. Employers will be impressed that you took the time to learn about them and that you are interested enough in them to ask targeted and specific questions.

4. Practice your elevator pitch. Since recruiters may not have much time to talk to you (and there may be a line of students waiting for their chance to interact), you have to get good at telling your story and highlighting your strengths quickly. Now, this doesn’t mean talking like one of those cattle auctioneers who speak so fast they sound like they’ve invented their own language. Rather, you should have a few key points that you want to get across. Start by introducing yourself (with a smile and firm handshake) and stating your year and major. Then you should say (briefly!) why you are interested in their industry and what skills and experiences make you a good fit. For example

“Hi my name is Sallie Spirit and I’m a senior majoring in Anthropology. I’ve become really interested in marketing through my involvement as recruitment chair for my sorority where I’ve learned the importance of effective branding and promotion. This experience required me to be very organized and developed my communication skills. I’m particularly interested in your _____ position because….”

5. Dress Appropriately. Business casual is the appropriate dress for a career fair. For men that means slacks and a button-up or polo shirt. For women it means a skirt (knee length or longer) or slacks and a professional looking top (button-up, blouse or dressy sweater/sweater set) and nothing low-cut. You want to look sharp but really want to be remembered for what you said, not what you were wearing.

6. Be respectful of the recruiter(s)’ time. Since you will probably want to see lots of different employers, you will need to budget your time and not spend too long at any one table. If there are other people waiting to speak with a recruiter, it’s especially important to be mindful of how long you speak with an employer. Ideally, a conversation with a recruiter shouldn’t last more than five minutes (and could be less).

7. Don’t lead with your resume. You should definitely bring copies of your resume to any career fair you attend but it’s a little presumptuous to start a conversation with your resume, especially since some employers won’t be collecting them at the fair. Wait for an employer to ask you for it or you can inquire at the end of your conversation whether or not they are accepting resumes and present it then.

8. Ask for business cards. You’ll be meeting a lot of people at these events and will be hard to remember conversations, let alone names, so ask for a business card when you speak with someone. Then, before you walk on to the next table, find a quiet and unobtrusive spot to jot down a few notes on the back so you can remember what you talked about. To build on your first meeting it’s a great idea to follow-up with the recruiter after the fair by sending a quick thank you email with details to remind them of what you discussed when you met. Here are some other tips for following up after a career fair.

9. Beware the grabby hands. We all know the allure of free stuff for college students and, let’s be honest, there can be some really cool giveaways at career fairs. However, you should NEVER walk up to a table and simply take something off of it without talking to the employer (about their positions, organization, etc—not just to ask about the giveaway) first.

Make It Personal: How To Build An Effective Social Network

By Kelly Cleary

“I’d like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.”

What better way to say, “I’m not really putting much effort into this networking thing,” reminiscent of the way sending a resume without a cover letter might suggest, “I’m not interested enough in this position to take the time to tell you I’m interested and explain why I’m qualified.”

Making connections on professional social networks like LinkedIn is a relatively easy and very effective way to develop or enhance professional relationships and to reconnect with colleagues or classmates. That said, collecting connections by simply blasting generic requests to any profile names that look somewhat familiar, are in your alumni or employer networks, or are one or two connections away from you is generally not an approach that will likely lead to developing mutually respected relationships that will help you learn more about your field, and perhaps lead you to opportunities in the “hidden job market.”

Instead of immediately hitting “Send Invitation” and the generic auto-fill request when you decide you’d like to request a connection with someone, take just a minute or so to personalize the request with a little note to say hello. It might be helpful to mention where you met or if you have a particular affiliation in common, such as an alumni network. If you’re trying to connect with someone you have not yet met, then include a brief introduction of yourself and mention why you’d like to connect. If you have a mutual friend or connection that referred you to that person, then mention that as well. Since a primary goal for your building your network is to develop longstanding professional relationships, this type of personal note can set the perfect tone for an ongoing conversation.

From Penn’s Career Services on LinkedIn page you’ll find industry subgroups and many tips for using LinkedIn including How To: Network Professionally Online and How To: Build a Professional Student Profile.

3 tips from one who’s been there…

Part 2 of a series on mentoring opportunities and programs

One of the best ways to prepare for life after Penn – as well as to help you make the most of your time at Penn – is to find a mentor. Use the Career Services Networking and Mentoring webpage as a great starting point.

Alumnae Anna Tiffany (EAS ’05), Scale-Up Engineer in the Coatings Technology Center at The Dow Chemical Company, volunteers her time as a Mentor through the Penn Engineering Mentoring Program. Below, she has kindly shared her top 3 tips to help students connect with their mentors….useful advice to help you add value to your experience at Penn…and beyond.

There are so many options available for Penn grads that to decide what direction to take can be stressful, exciting, and confusing all at the same time. The best way to understand your many options is to talk with someone who’s gone through it already. That’s where mentors come in; their role is to provide students with perspective and guidance on the many paths that lie before them. But what is the role of the mentee in the relationship?

In the best mentoring relationships, mentees are not idle sponges simply absorbing information from their mentors. Instead, mentees – just like mentors – are active participants. There are three things you can do as a mentee to ensure a successful mentoring relationship, and you have to start even before you contact your mentor for the first time. Before seeking a mentor, you must determine what it is you are looking to get out of the relationship. What do you hope to accomplish? Making a list of questions you’d like your mentor help you answer is a good way to start thinking about what you want from the relationship. Understanding this (and sharing it with your mentor!) will help guide your mentor’s efforts.

Once you have a mentor, the mentee should be the one to drive the relationship. Set up meetings (if possible), ask questions, and request feedback. At the same time though, be respectful of the mentor’s time. The level of communication needed for each relationship is different, but it would probably not be appropriate to contact your mentor every other day. On that note, communication can either be regular (say once a month) or on an as-needed basis. It’s really up to what you need, but the frequency should be established at the start of the relationship. With my mentors, I like to switch between regularly scheduled meetings and as-needed ones, changing as my needs change.

Finally, as the relationship advances, keep your mentor informed with your progress, particularly about topics you’ve discussed. We want to know how you’re doing- we wouldn’t invest our time in you otherwise! Plus, the more your mentor knows about your interests, the more helpful they can be.

So to sum it all up, decide what you want, drive the relationship, and keep in touch. These three things will help you get the most out of your mentoring relationship. And who knows, you might end up with a life-long friend in the process.

Buon viaggio!

by Sue Russoniello

By the time you read this blog post, I’ll be in Italy for the first time. Usually my preparation for a vacation means rushing around at the last minute, throwing in everything I think I might need, which means I over pack and/or forget something vital. I have vowed that this trip is going to be different. Since we’ll be traveling by train and carrying our own luggage from place to place, I’ve checked the weather, carefully considered the activities we’ve planned, and tried to line up a minimal collection of the right clothes and accessories.

As I started making a list for my trip, I thought of other aspects of life where I (and you) should make a concerted effort to plan ahead. For instance, maybe your search for a summer internship, full time job or graduate school applications could use some tweaking. Perhaps you approach important things in your life the same way I pack for vacation — on the day of an interview you throw on a suit, grab your resume and rush out the door thinking you’re ready.

Even now my palms begin to sweat when I remember one particular interview I had many years ago. When I got out of bed that morning, I discovered that it was snowing, and began to panic. I not only had to dress more carefully than usual, but also had to find my boots. Once I got out of the house, I discovered that traffic was horrendous, parking in the city a challenge; I arrived late, rushing up to the receptionist who was waiting for me. She had to wait even longer while I awkwardly exchanged boots for dress shoes and attempted to smooth my hair, feeling discombobulated rather than calm and prepared.

You’ll not be surprised to hear that the interview went terribly. I was so rattled by then, that when I was asked what my then boss would say about me that would make the interviewer want to hire me, (not a terribly difficult or unusual question) I totally froze. Instead of having the composure to carefully promote myself, the few ideas I babbled about just emphasized my lack of readiness and self confidence. I was embarrassed and just wanted it all to be over. On the way home I beat myself up with a dozen things I should have said, and tried to incorporate them into my thank you note. But of course it was too late. In these situations you don’t get a do over, and needless to say, I did not get the job offer.

So what should I have done differently? Why didn’t I plan ahead — listen to the weather report, lay out my clothes (including my boots and gloves) the night before and set an earlier alarm? I should have anticipated the slow traffic and arrived with enough spare time to be able to organize my thoughts as well as my appearance. Setting aside some time to review the job description, my resume and sample interview questions would have helped my chances of landing the job. If only I had scheduled an appointment with a Career Counselor which would have armed me with the self confidence I needed to put my best self forward.

I encourage you to learn from my mistakes. Career Services is open all year, even during the summer, so please call us for assistance with your job or internship search, or graduate school admissions process.

I realize that advance preparation for events, whether it’s a vacation or a job interview, is well worth the time and effort invested. It usually leads to a better outcome, better feelings about yourself, and a much more relaxed and enjoyable journey.

Arrivederci!