7 Tips To Rock A cAReeR FAiR

Including recruiter pet peeves and

student tips!

Zach Zapinsky, MPA ’14, managed to be the first person in linefor the Expo, despite a full day of classes and an internship.

1. bRing YouR A gAme

RECRUITER PET PEEVE:

“There’s no point wearing a nice suit if you’re going to put on white socks.” – Jay Goldstein, Tradition Energy recruiter from New York City

No white socks in sight.

McCombs students make San Jacinto Drive look more like Wall Street than a college campus.

2. Do YouR ReseARch

“You can’t talk to everyone, so narrow it down to five to 10 companies. Be sure to know what the company you’re speaking to does.” – Angela Biscardi AON Corp.

“Do your homework. Know the company that you’re interested in. It drives me crazy when people ask, ‘Do you sell credit cards?’” – Jesse Marin, Visa recruiter from Foster City, Calif.

RECRUITER PET PEEVE:

“My goal is to visit 10 companies today, and I looked through all of their websites. I spoke to anyone I knew who worked there, gather-ing pros and cons for each company.”

Vivian Tan, MPA ‘16

3. neTwoRk, neTwoRk, neTwoRk

Isabelle Arrellaga, BBA ‘16 attended company night, where she wasable to get to know some of the recruiters beforehand.

“I’m already familiar with one of my target companies, becauseI attended a consulting workshop with them last month.”

Tyler Vender, BBA ‘16

4. be enThusiAsTic — noT DespeRATe

“I once interviewed someone who started their pitch by saying, ‘I know my GPA isn’t great, but…’ Be sure to focus on the positive. Own your resume and be confident in yourself.” – Chelsea Saunders, Target recruiter from Austin

“Stay calm, don’t oversell yourself, and don’t violate a recruiter’s personal space.” – Jesse Marin, Visa

RECRUITER PET PEEVE:

This polished McCombs student looks like she’s doing great.

5. be open–minDeD

“If you don’t recognize the name of the company, it doesn’t mean that it’s not a great company.” – Jay Goldstein, Tradition Energy

“I once interviewed someone who started their pitch by saying, ‘I know my GPA isn’t great, but…’ Be sure to focus on the positive. Own your resume and be confident in yourself.” – Chelsea Saunders, Target recruiter from Austin

“Don’t limit yourself geographically. Be sure you work for a company that you believe in. Find the right leaders to work for and stay open-minded about the industry.” – Kimiko Saito, DaVita recruiter from Dallas/Fort Worth

6. Ask quesTions AnD engAge YouR AuDience

“It’s OK to ask about corporate benefits, but asking about title, salary, and office size are completely off–limits.” – Jesse Marin, Visa

“Don’t just say, “Yes.” Ask questions.”— Matt Napiorrowski, ExxonMobil recruiter, BBA ’08

“As a candidate, it’s your job to break the ice. Be sure to lead the conversation instead of waiting for a recruiter to ask questions.”– Ross Lanzini, ExxonMobil recruiter, BBA ’05 These alums landed their

current jobs by attending this very expo. (Love the burnt orange, guys.)

7. sell YouRselF, noT jusT YouR Resume

“Strong communication skills are the most important attribute of potential candidates, followed by an outgoing personality.” –Angela Biscardi, AON Corp.

“GPA is the last thing we look for. It’s more important for us to look at the number of student organizations, sports, and other extracurricular activities.” – Chelsea Saunders, Target

gooD luck

Thanks for reading. Get more career advice, faculty expertise and student success stories, CEO insights, business school news and more:

McCombs Today News Website: www.today.mccombs.utexas.edu

www.facebook.com/UTMcCombsSchool

@UTexasMcCombs