Posted by by Mehak Hasmi
The Wasserman Engineering and Technology Career Fair at the Polytechnic School of Engineering is Thursday February 12th and I am eager to share a few tips and tricks to help you make the most of your experience at the fair and, of course, score an interview.
Aside from putting on you best professional business attire, the first thing to do before walking into the career fair is to research the companies attending and note those that you would like to visit. Wasserman has made checking out participating employers easy with the Career Fair + App. If you haven’t downloaded it already, I recommend doing so ASAP via the Apple App Store or the Google App Store. Knowing companies that will be attending gives you a leg up from others who just show up to the career fair nervous, simply seeking a job or internship. Now you don’t have to perform in-depth research on every company, but just enough to familiarize yourself with the companies that interest you. Topics that I have found beneficial to research in advance include the organizations culture, their competitors, and how their open positions might be a good fit for you. You can use this information as leverage to create a memorable conversation with a recruiter. This way when you apply, he/she will recall your name and the great conversation you initiated.
In my past four years at the School of Engineering, I have attended several career fairs as well as national conferences with NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers) and SHPE (Society of Hispanic Engineers). If I advise one thing to students who are going to a career fair, it would be to learn how to give a firm handshake and maintain eye contact when speaking with the recruiter. It says a lot about you because your first impression is pretty much your last impression. You can have a 4.0 GPA and speak perfect English, but aside from that, your demeanor plays an important role. Recruiters want to get to know you as a person. They want to offer internships and jobs to individuals who will be able to manage teams and work well with those from diverse backgrounds. You have to be able to prove that you can work collaboratively with others and the only way you are going to do that is by putting confidence in yourself.
For me, interviews are always a nerve-wracking experience, but after a number of interviews, I have realized that perception is reality. The way you see yourself to the employer is the way you are going to present yourself to the employer. It is important to place confidence in yourself and to remember that recruiters want you to work for them just as badly as you seek to gain access to their organization. Career fairs present unique opportunities for NYU student’s to connect with employers and to get a shot at interviewing for a summer internship or full-time job. It is not always big things to remember, but little things that are key to helping you prepare for a successful experience at a NYU career fair. I wish everyone good luck at the fair!
RSVP for the Spring Engineering & Technology Career Fair on Thursday February 12th here!
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