Are You Ready for College Recruiting? (Part III)

I have shared some thoughts of college recruiting for corporate recruiters and career service staff in a university. Today, let’s discuss how college students can better prepare themselves. If I were a college student, I would do the following:

1. Understand my personality and identify several “ideal” companies or jobs that will make the rest of my life happy --- career service centers often provide free consulting service to help college students identify their personalities and/or strengths.
2. If possible, find a part-time job that is closely related to my “ideal” jobs. I want to see if I truly enjoy what I think I would love to do.
3. Thoroughly research a company. I want to know a company’s organizational culture and job responsibilities. If I don’t like what I see or hear, probably that company is not a good fit for me.
4. Be a Fan of my ideal employers and follow them on Facebook and Twitter. In addition, participate in their conversations and show how much I love the company.
5. If a company has a career page on Facebook or its own website, talk to the company’s current employees and see how they like their jobs.
6. Sign up for a newsletter of my ideal employers and keep an eye on the company’s performance and strategic plans.
7. Introduce myself to the corporate recruiters during their visits on campus. Afterwards, link them at LinkedIn and maintain an on-going conversation with them. I have not seen any corporate recruiter who does not want to answer questions. The levels of attention I receive from a recruiter show how much interest the company has on me.
8. Start early and ask advices from my professors or career service staff on career preparedness. Ask them how I can stand out from the crowd? What knowledge or qualifications I need to demonstrate when I graduate? Then, build those knowledge or qualifications throughout my college experience.
9. Ask my friends, family members, professors, and career service staff for their opinions on how to “package” my resume and other application materials.
10. If I sign up for an interview, I will make sure I complete a mock interview before the real one
11. Attend workshops on business etiquettes, job interviews, dress for success, etc. These workshops are often free for college students.

Do I miss anything? Please to feel free to add to this list.

References:

Picture (SU's 156th Commencement) was downloaded from COLAB.syr.edu via
http://tinyurl.com/linchikwok08182010P

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