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

Comments

Yammer: A Social Networking Site Exclusively for the Workplace

Effective internal communications among employees are related to some desirable organizational outcomes, such as robust morale, a clear vision, low turnover, and high employee engagement. The question is what platform can serve the purpose. This ABC News video introduces “ Yammer ,” an exclusive internal communication tool for companies. A user must use a valid company e-mail address to sign up for an account. Once an account is validated, the user will be led to the company page that is pretty much like a Facebook page. The difference is that only the users whose e-mail addresses share the same domain can see the wall and communicate with each other. I have no question about whether Yammer could be a useful internal communication tool for companies, but I just wonder: how many social networking sites do people need for communication? Why people have to “create” so many platforms or channels for “effective communications”? To many people, Facebook is only for “friends,” whe

How Covid-19 will change the HR department? (by Vivian Tan)

With the current pandemic happening, many businesses are having a hard time. It is hard for them to maintain to pay all their employees, and many things have changed on how companies are running during Covid-19. Because of this virus, employees work from home and might lack the motivation to finish their tasks. Many businesses shut their doors infinitely and file for bankruptcy because it is hard to pay their employees, and there are not many businesses coming in. In the hospitality industry, the HR department must create policies and answer questions from the outbreak. It is also essential that they communicate with workers for any updates and make sure that it does not affect their daily operations. When it comes to covid-19 concerns, the HR department should communicate with the employees for any updates on the virus, such as informing employees about policies, personal hygiene, posting signs around the workplace about symptoms of the virus, and wear masks. Also, asking employee

The 2020 hospitality and tourism trends that will likely stay in 2021 and beyond

The COVID-19 pandemic had made an unprecedented impact on the global economy in 2020. The good news is the long-waited COVID-19 vaccines will soon become available . Let’s hope that the coronavirus will disappear soon as we enter the New Year. Looking back before we look forward At year-end 2019, I predicted a few 2020 trends in hospitality, retail, and tourism businesses. For example, I recommended that we should pay special attention to the following areas: A shifting focus on food delivery, sustainable food, and quick-casual restaurants. Using AI and facial recognition in service operations. The threats from Google, Amazon, and Airbnb as a (potential, new) giant tourism enterprise in the market. Investors’ growing interest in boutique retail stores and hotels. Customer loyalty issues as more travel companies adopted the dynamic pricing strategy even in their frequent traveler programs. Safety issues during travel. Certainly, the global pandemic was not

Linchi Kwok, Ph.D.

Search This Blog