This past week was fantastic! Purdue had a few of it's biggest career fairs and Sun was in on the action! We had a consistent flow of people at our booth. They were fascinated by our technologies and loved how modern Sun is (e.g. our facebook page). I was impressed to see how many students were Java certified and/or had used Sun's technologies with work experiences and also within the classroom setting. It was great to see so many students passionate about Sun!
A lot of students are quite nervous approaching companies at a career fair. If you get nervous and aren't sure how to go about approaching companies, here are a few tips:
1. Research the company before attending the career fair
- It will make you feel a lot less nervous if you know some information about the company. If you know about the company's products and competitors, it will be a lot easier to strike up a conversation and tie in your experiences.
2. Have someone look over your resume and bring more copies than you expect to use
- Make sure you include your expected graduation date. Be sure not to include personal information like age, gender, national origin, etc.
3. Develop a 15 - 30 second "elevator pitch" and practice it
- An elevator pitch should consist of introducing yourself, your major, expected graduation date, what you are looking for (internship / full time and in what function), as well as why the specific company interests you. Try not to sound rehearsed.
4. Approach the company representatives with confidence, a smile and a handshake
- Be confident! You are full of talent, skills and knowledge. Let employers know why you would be a great addition to the company.
5. After the conversation is over, be sure to collect a business card
- This is to help with tip #6.
6. Send a follow-up note to your contact
- Make sure you thank the company representative that spoke with you. Try to comment on a specific topic you covered while talking with them. Hopefully this will help them remember you. You could send a thank you card or an email.
Good Luck!
A lot of students are quite nervous approaching companies at a career fair. If you get nervous and aren't sure how to go about approaching companies, here are a few tips:
1. Research the company before attending the career fair
- It will make you feel a lot less nervous if you know some information about the company. If you know about the company's products and competitors, it will be a lot easier to strike up a conversation and tie in your experiences.
2. Have someone look over your resume and bring more copies than you expect to use
- Make sure you include your expected graduation date. Be sure not to include personal information like age, gender, national origin, etc.
3. Develop a 15 - 30 second "elevator pitch" and practice it
- An elevator pitch should consist of introducing yourself, your major, expected graduation date, what you are looking for (internship / full time and in what function), as well as why the specific company interests you. Try not to sound rehearsed.
4. Approach the company representatives with confidence, a smile and a handshake
- Be confident! You are full of talent, skills and knowledge. Let employers know why you would be a great addition to the company.
5. After the conversation is over, be sure to collect a business card
- This is to help with tip #6.
6. Send a follow-up note to your contact
- Make sure you thank the company representative that spoke with you. Try to comment on a specific topic you covered while talking with them. Hopefully this will help them remember you. You could send a thank you card or an email.
Good Luck!