Engineering Career Day Tips

1. Dress to impress. Suits are not required, but dress nicely that day.

2. Do your homework before you go. Research the companies attending by browsing the Engineering Career Day website.

3. Pick up the packet listing the organizations attending. The brochure will list companies by majors being sought, those looking for summer interns, and those seeking graduate students. Identify the organizations with which you wish to speak and note where the company is located.

4. Pick a place to start. Companies will be located on ALL THREE FLOORS of Towne. TRY STARTING ON THE THIRD FLOOR INSTEAD OF THE FIRST. Before you approach a table, think a minute:

• Is there anything that you already know about the employer?
• Think of questions that you can ask.
• Be prepared to give a brief summary of the type of work you are seeking.
• Be prepared to say a little bit about yourself (interests, projects, research, goals, etc.)

5. Approach recruiters! Don't be nervous, the recruiters are here to speak with you. Be sociable and professional.

6. Be prepared to initiate conversation, by asking questions or saying something that gives the person an invitation to talk. The idea is to converse with employers, not to just have a question & answer session. Your conversation should last for a minute and a half.

7. Introduce yourself and thank the employer for attending. Shake hands and make eye contact.

8. Be aware of others waiting. If you are not particularly interested in working for this organization, thank the recruiter for his/her time and walk on. If you are very interested, say something like, "I'd like to speak with you further, but I see that you have others waiting. May I come back later to see if you have more time?"

9. Be discreet in talking about employers. Even if you know the recruiter keep in mind that they represent the employer now. All conversations should be on a professional level.

10. Provide them with a copy of your resume. Bring plenty of copies.

11. Some organizations will bring promotional gift items. Don't take more than you can carry inconspicuously.

12. Take the recruiter's business card for future reference.

13. If you want to pursue a job with a recruiter, make sure you know what to do next (ie. fill out an application form, send a letter of recommendation, etc.)

14. After the event, jot down some information about each representative that you spoke to. This will help you in in the future when contacting this person or others in the organization. Sending thank you notes is recommended for those companies you are especially interested in pursuing. Try to trigger the representative's memory of you by stating something that you had discussed with them.