On Campus Recruiting – Penn & Beyond

Submit Now for Recruiter Add-On Interviews!

On-campus recruiting for full-time positions (which started on September 26th) is well underway and interviews for internship positions will start on Monday, October 23rd. The semester is flying by, so I thought now would be a good time to remind students about the Recruiter Add-On Interview process. If you were not able to get on an interview schedule (either because you did not apply through the original resume collection or you were not selected for an interview), the Add-On Interview can be a great second opportunity to speak with an organization of interest to you.

It is fairly common for employers to have open slots on their schedules when they arrive on campus because of candidates accepting other opportunities or because of unforeseen situations like students being ill. Many organizations opt to fill these open interview slots on the day of their on-campus interviews by accepting “Recruiter Add-On Interviews.” If you wish to be considered for an “Add-On” Interview, complete the “Recruiter Add-On Interview Request Form” for each position that interests you, attach the form to your resume, and deposit it in the “Recruiter Add-On Interview Request Box” outside of Career Services (Suite 20, McNeil Building). Collection hours are 9:15am-2:00pm one business day before the interview date. The OCR staff will notify students who are invited for an add-on interview as soon as an employer invites the student to interview. Note that there is no penalty for declining an Add-On invitation if the time doesn’t work for you. Use the “Weekly List of Employers Scheduled to Recruit On Campus” link to determine which employers to submit for each day. The spreadsheet will be updated weekly on the On Campus Interview website.

We see students every day who are invited to fill these last-minute open slots and often they go on to receive second round interviews and job offers because they took the time to submit requests for Add-On Interviews. We invite you to do the same!

On-Campus Recruiting and Handshake

Natty Leach, Associate Director

As this summer is quickly evaporating, now is a great time to gear up for On-Campus Recruiting (OCR) next semester. Each year, OCR brings over 300 employers chomping at the bit to hire Penn students and soon-to-be graduates. Details on all of the employers and positions they’re recruiting for can be viewed in Handshake. Applications for full-time positions open tomorrow, August 23rd . Applications for summer 2018 internship recruiting opens September 28th .

Tips for viewing OCR positions:

1) Go to Jobs -> Job Search. This page has all of the jobs in Handshake but you can add a filter to see just active OCR positions by checking “Interviewing on Campus” under the “Categories” filter.

2) Sort by expiration date to help see what’s coming up sooner rather than later.

3) Find an overview of employers coming to campus by clicking on the “On-Campus Interviews” tab in blue at the top right.
While OCR is open to all undergraduate students, the types of employers that typically recruit during this time are mostly from industries with predictable hiring trends (often Finance and Consulting). On-Campus Recruiting is just one of many options to take advantage of here at Penn so stay in touch with Career Services so we can help you navigate whatever your future plans may be.

If you’re interested in learning more about Handshake, OCR, and ways to prepare for recruiting, take a look at our online presentation!

Not Invited? Try an Add-on!

by Marlene L. Cohen, Recruiting Manager, Career Services/On Campus Recruiting

There is an employer on PennLink that you have submitted your resume for consideration. You really want to be selected as an invite. You wait – you check PennLink – you’re “Not Invited.” Don’t be discouraged, submit an “Add On” request. Over 150 Add On interviews were held in OCR last season. Most employers will look at and even schedule last minute interviews with students who have submitted an add-on request. Of course there is no guarantee of acceptance, but you never know! Sometimes employers will experience a late cancellation or even a dreaded no show and would like to fill those empty slots. If your resume is in their packet, you may be selected.

The process is very simple. Go on the Career Services website and under the main OCR page, select Recruiter Add-on Interview Request Form. Fill out the form or print several copies to have on hand. Once the form is filled out, attach your resume and bring them to the Career Services office in the basement level of the McNeil Building, Suite 20. There you will find the Recruiter Add-On Interview Request Box. The box will be available to you between the hours of 9:15 am until 2:00 pm. Now please keep in mind that you’re submitting add-on requests for the next working day’s interviews. For instance, submit on Monday for Tuesday interviews; submit on Friday for Monday interviews. The add-on requests will be given to the recruiters when they check into OCR the following morning. The recruiter will review the resumes at their convenience and will ask the OCR receptionist to call the students they wish to interview. There is no need to call and check on the status of your add-on request. The OCR receptionist will contact you by telephone if you are selected for an add-on interview. If you are not selected, you will not be contacted.

Many students who have received add-on interviews have also received offers from those employers. So try it! You might get an interview with the employer you really want!

CS Radio Episode 2: “On Campus Recruiting”

The second episode of our new podcast is now live! Join hosts A. Mylene Kerschner and J. Michael DeAngelis as they walk you through the basics of Penn’s On Campus Recruiting process. Later in the show, we’re joined by Associate Director for the College of Arts & Sciences team, Heather Trannen.

Enjoy!

Changes to On-Campus Internship Recruiting for 2016 – 2017 Academic Year

Career Services and Penn Abroad have announced changes to on-campus recruiting for internships for the 2016 – 2017 academic year. In the past (and currently for this year) we have held internship recruiting for non-technical positions in February. (Computer Science and Engineering internship recruiting has occurred in the fall during the past few years, as it will this year.) Recently, additional employers have begun their internship hiring much earlier in the year and we have found that we are increasingly out of sync with companies who have opted to interview for internships in the fall.

In order to maximize the number of summer internship opportunities for Penn students, next academic year we will begin on-campus recruiting for both technical and non-technical internships on October 31^st, 2016, with resume submissions occurring earlier in October. We expect that there will be a large number of on-campus interviews conducted during the first three weeks of November 2016; many offers will be made by the end of fall semester. Generally, employers will expect decisions from students by the end of the semester. Employers may choose to interview in the spring if they wish, but we anticipate that the bulk of current OCR employers will choose to interview in the fall.

Please note that most employers who come to campus to participate in recruiting tend to be larger employers in business and technical areas. Smaller employers, and those in areas such as government, communications, education or nonprofits, do not participate heavily in OCR so this change will not likely affect students seeking opportunities in those fields.

We wanted to let students know of these changes now as some of you are likely considering your study abroad plans for next year. We certainly encourage Penn students who are interested in studying abroad to do so as it is very often a life-changing experience. Studying abroad affords students with unique, culturally immersive experiences and new perspectives while also developing important intercultural communication and language skills – critical competencies and skills valued by future employers who are aware of the ever changing global workplace.

Penn offers both fall and spring study abroad options. Please consider which semester might be preferable for your individual circumstances. If you are interested in finance, technical, or consulting positions, it may be helpful to be on campus in the fall to participate in OCR. However, we will certainly work with and encourage employers to use phone and video interviewing as an alternate means to interview students who are not in the United States, whether in the fall or spring term. Many employers we have spoken to have indicated their willingness to do so.

Students who go abroad in the spring will also need to keep in mind that academic calendars differ around the world. In other countries, the “spring” term may end in June or even July, making it difficult to be back in time to participate in the internship training programs required by some employers. If you go abroad in the spring, you should be mindful of your program dates.

Please note that there are many different ways to find summer internships and the timeline for hiring for different industries can vary widely. Please feel free to make an appointment with a career advisor in Career Services to discuss your particular interests as you plan for next year.

If you are interested in studying abroad, start researching your study abroad options on the Penn Abroad website (http://global.upenn.edu/pennabroad/students/getting-started). Also, mark your calendars and plan on attending the Study Abroad Fair on Thursday, November 5 to learn more about the exciting international opportunities available to Penn students through the Penn Abroad office. On the same day Career Services will be holding an International Opportunities Fair, with many of the participating organization offering international internships for students.