Campus Recruiting

How to Prep for Fall Recruitment

Fall recruitment is the best time to start looking for summer internships and full-time job opportunities. Here’s an easy guide on how to prepare:

Step 1: What are you looking for?

You can’t start to prep for fall recruitment if you don’t have a general idea of the internships in which you’re interested. Think about your major and the courses you’ve taken so far. What were some courses that you really enjoyed? What strengths did you use to excel in those courses? What type of job do you want post-graduation? What type of internship experience would make you competitive for the type of job you want?

Step 2: What companies do you want to target?

Now that you have a general idea of what type of an internship you want, it’s time to think about what companies you want to target. Internships are essentially extended interviews for full-time employment opportunities. Likewise, they give you the opportunity to give a company a “test drive” to see if you’d want to work there after graduation, so think about what you’re going to be looking for in a future employer. Is location, culture or opportunity for growth within a company important to you? If you’re looking for a summer internship, do you want to stay local or are you open to relocating for the summer? These are all things you’ll be thinking about once you start the full-time job hunt after graduation, so you will be setting yourself up for success if you start thinking like this now.

Step 3: What recruiting events are offered at your school?

By now you should have some companies in mind that you’d like to intern for. So how are you going to get noticed? How will you set yourself apart in the sea of applicants? Lucky for you, career services offers several opportunities for you to get in front of recruiters. You can check out your career services site (or stop by their office on campus) to inquire about upcoming career fairs, information sessions and networking events. Here are a couple key points about each of these opportunities:

1. Career fairs – You can meet a recruiter and inquire about internships that interest you. Impress recruiters with your elevator pitch, top-notch resume, and ask some good questions.
2. Information sessions – Here you can learn about a company and its internship and full-time opportunities. At the end, utilize the Q&A for asking those questions you can’t find answers to online, those about company culture, promotional opportunities, etc.
3. Networking events – Being involved on campus is great because you may have the opportunity to attend an exclusive event that is typically in a more casual setting than a career fair and to speak with a recruiter or representative from a company.

Step 4: How are you going to put your best foot forward?

Word to the wise, showing up to a recruitment event is only going to be beneficial if you’re prepared. After all, you only have one to two minutes to make a lasting impression on a recruiter for an opportunity. So what should you do?

1. Utilize career services for resume reviews and interview tips or mock interviews
2. Research the companies and the opportunities they have posted via the company website or career blogs
3. Dress for success
4. Have copies of your updated resume
5. Know your elevator pitch