How to stand out during your college job fair
Dear Sam:
I will be attending a college recruitment fair sponsored through a professional association in actuarial science, and will have the opportunity to meet with recruiters from top insurance companies. This is such an amazing opportunity as I am seeking a summer internship before my senior year. How can I stand out if I am surrounded by college students — all possessing the same degree and limited experience?
Dear Dave:
You are already light years ahead of many of your peers by recognizing that you need to do something different to stand out. I recommend the following five ways to prepare for the event.
PrePare Your Brand Make sure your resume does not look like everyone else’s resume. Take the time to create a best practices-based resume that showcases more than just your degree. Explore the courses you have completed and will complete, dig in to the projects from significant major-related courses, add other academic achievements and fully explore any work experiences you have. Package this content in a format that will appeal to your audience — something conservative and professional — but that is also a little beyond the boring standard Word template.
do Your Homework Review the list of exhibitors and create a game plan for who you want to see first, second, etc. With such a large event, it is likely going to be impossible to meet representatives from every company, so have a game plan to ensure you do not miss out on the opportunity to meet with the decision makers and influencers you really want to get in front of.
Once you determine which companies you would like to meet with, research their mission and culture, as well as how you may fit in.
Practice Your PitcH Realizing that many of your peers will also have similar backgrounds, it’s time to make sure you provide something memorable about you. Introduce yourself and present your qualifications, but also make it a little more personal.
If 100 students approach the same recruiter and each have similar educations and experiences, then think about how you are different. Are you an athlete? Are you the first in your family to attend college? Are you an avid community volunteer? By reflecting on the company’s brand and mission, you can often find synergies between what is important to them and what is important to you.
collect Business cards
Do not leave a recruiter without their business card or contact information. That evening, connect with them on LinkedIn with a short message of thanks for their time. Attach your resume to your LinkedIn message and ask if it would be okay for you to keep in touch. Check in with them routinely to uncover potential opportunities.
understand lessons learned
Reflect on your experience with that of your peers. What was different? Did someone else experience the opportunity differently? Were offers made? Think about what you can learn from your experience, applying that to your next opportunity.
Good luck with the event. I am 100 percent certain if you take the time to do the above items, you will be head and shoulders above many of your competitors. Samantha Nolan is a certified professional resume writer and owner of Nolan Branding. Reach her at dearsam@nolanbranding. com, visit nolanbranding.com or call 614-570-3442 or 1-888-9523928. Meet her on Facebook, live on Thursdays at 12:15 p.m. EDT, for an extended discussion of this week’s Dear Sam topic.