Just Attended A Career Fair? Find Out What To Do Next!

 By Kiernan King, Toppel Peer Advisor

Attending a career fair allows you to explore a variety of career options that you wouldn’t normally have thought about. In doing so, you allow yourself to connect with many employers from a variety of companies and have an opportunity to network and even practice that elevator pitch.

You had your résumés off to countless HR representatives and then…that’s it?

Wrong.

What you do at the career fair is almost more important than what you did while you were there. Here are some steps to follow!

1. Get Organized

Since you probably spoke with many potential employers, it’s important to stay organized and keep track of all your job leads. Did you collect business cards, informational brochures and packets? Can you read that e-mail address that you frantically jotted down after someone said they knew someone better suited to help you with your career goals? Create a document that helps you keep track of everyone you spoke with and some highlights of the conversation you had with them.

2. Follow-Up

You probably gathered as many business cards as you could, now it’s important to follow up with the contacts you met. Send an email, thank you letter or make a phone call. 

Make sure it is well-written and free of grammar errors. Make note of something the employer said they’d help you with, chances are they spoke with many people and don’t remember anything they told you. 

Don’t make this casual. Go to the organization’s website and find specific positions you could apply for, tie your skill sets to match the open position, let them know you’re excited about the opportunity and that you value their input from speaking with them at the event.

3. Make Necessary Changes to Your Resume

If you received any critiques at the fair, be sure to make those changes now. It’s important to keep this document up-to-date, as your skill set changes with each new experience you take on. If needed, come to the Toppel Career Center for walk-in advising Mon-Thurs from 10:00-4:30, a peer advisor will be more than willing to help you out!

4. Practice, Practice, Practice!

Continue to practice your interviewing skills. Everyone claims they are good at interviewing, but are you really? You want to stay sharp and not be nervous before you interview for your dream job.

5. Reflect

It’s important to see how you managed yourself so you can prepare and make any improvements next time. Were you shy? Awkward? Confused? Did you seem to make a fool out of yourself or did you make a joke that left the employers with a good impression? What’s something I would do differently? What worked?

There is always plenty to do once you leave a career fair, just remember to give yourself props for attending one and know that it is never too early, or late, to go to one!

How Do I Choose a Favorite?!?!?!

By Ali Rodriguez, Director of Employer Relations

My favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip. But I also really love Cherry Garcia. No...wait, chocolate chip cookie dough is delicious and makes a wonderful milkshake. What I've learned over the years is that you don't have to just have one favorite.

Think about how you can apply this notion to finding a career you will find satisfying. Have you ever worried about finding a career you will love? I know I did. Having family members who enjoyed the work they did, I remember being in college and trying to find that one thing that would resonate with me. We all have different interests at various points in our life, depending on experiences and life circumstances.

Try not to put too much pressure on yourself to figure it all out in too short of a time frame. Instead, open your mind to the variety of possibilities that exist. Look carefully at the companies who recruit at the Toppel Career Center for full-time jobs and internships. Consider things that are also a good fit: is part-time work, freelancing, or starting your own business a better choice? Don't judge an opportunity by the organization and/or job title alone. Often times, at smaller organizations, you have the chance to get exposure and experience in a variety of capacities.

Let me share an example to illustrate my point. For the past several years, UM students have consistently rated Google as the #1 company to work for.* It used to be that Google did not recruit on campus (now they do), but the brand recognition was so strong and company culture transparent that students ranked the company highly. Now I will challenge you to think about the fact that for every Google, there's a Jazwares. You may never have heard of Jazwares, (they invent toys and related products that are new to the marketplace, featuring the licenses that kids want) but we have UM alumni working there and the workspace fosters creativity.  And what about the Miami Dolphins?  The organization has provided internships for numerous UM students over the years, and they have rated the experience positively. 

So, the next question is, how do I get engaged? Of course, I am biased, but attending Toppel events (such as career fairs, industry nights, and career programs hosted by employers) is a great way to build connections.  I challenge you again to think of other ways to do that. Attend a Launch Pad event. Talk to faculty and discover if any of them work in your industry. Talk to family members. Try to get as much info as you can that will help you make an informed decision and find your “fit.”

One important aspect of my job is to bring companies and organizations to campus to recruit at the U for jobs and internships. This keeps me busy! In my role, I help expose students to the variety of options that exist. Google is like my mint chocolate chip, Jazwares resonates with me like Cherry Garcia does, and I can liken the Miami Dolphins to chocolate chip cookie dough. I don’t/can’t have a favorite, there are just too many options!

Do you have a company that you've always wanted to work for who doesn't recruit at UM? Please don't hesitate to let me know by emailing me at alrodriguez@miami.edu.

*Source: Universum survey

Why and How You Should Take Full Advantage of On Campus Recruiting

By Monique Beaupre, Toppel Peer Advisor

What exactly is On Campus Recruiting? 

Representatives from local, national and international businesses and industries, governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, military services, human services, and school systems visit the campus to meet with students and to interview and discuss career opportunities with students. After applying to openings via HireACane, students may be scheduled for individual interviews with visiting employer representatives.

Why you should participate

They already want you! Many representatives are taking their own time to seek ‘Canes to fill their open positions. They’ve heard how awesome you are and therefore have invested time into recruiting you specifically. 

This is your opportunity at face-time with employers. Rather than merely submitting your application online among hundreds of qualified applicants, you’ll meet face-to-face with company representatives. Take advantage of your chance to express your interest and enthusiasm in a recruiting company.

How you can make the most of On Campus Recruiting

Simply attend information sessions and apply for interviews! Find the On Campus Recruiting calendar here: http://www.sa.miami.edu/toppel/mainSite/Students/programs.aspx. You can go the extra mile by approaching the representative after their presentation and following up with them via email before your interview.

Dedicate at least 15-30 minutes to researching an On Campus Recruiter before visiting them. Look for available positions. Companies come to campus to answer your questions, so it’s okay to ask what opportunities are available. However, you’ll stand out if you approach them with, “I’m interested in [open position] because...” If you arrive better informed, you put yourself a step ahead of the game.

Dress to impress. For interviews, business professional attire is a no-brainer. However, students commonly mistaken their shorts and flip-flops as appropriate for company information sessions. They should be dressed in business casual attire for these events, so they can make the best impression possible when shaking hands with the speaker after the session.