preparing for career fairs · (even if you aren’t job hunting right now) 2. an opportunity for...

University of Pennsylvania Career Services 9/4/2018

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Preparing for Career Fairs

Dr. Helen PhoAssociate DirectorCareer [email protected]

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Career Services has teams of advisors focused on different student/postdoc populations. Set up an appointment through Handshake (or by phone) with your career advisors for more detailed and specific discussions of the career topics

discussed in today’s workshop

PhoneMake advisorappointmentson Handshake

College undergraduates 215 898 7529 YES

Wharton undergraduates 215 898 7533 YES

Engineering students (all degree levels) 215 898 3012 YES

Nursing, GSE, SP2 students 215 898 4381 YES

Graduate students and postdocs in Annenberg, Arts & Sciences, Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs, SEAS, PennDesign, Perelman School of Medicine (BGS), and Wharton Doctoral Programs

215 898 7530 YES

https://upenn.joinhandshake.com

FIND YOUR CAREER ADVISORS

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Career Fairs and Online Resources

Upcoming career fairs you might be interested in:

• Engineering Career Day (A‐G) – September 5

• Engineering Career Day (H‐Z) – September 6

• Career Link (business, consulting, education, marketing, communications, nonprofit, retail) – September 7

• CareerFIRE (Finance, Insurance, Real Estate) – September 12

• Policy and Government Career Fair – September 21

• Biomedical & Life Sciences Career Fair (Master’s, PhD students, and

postdocs only) – October 25

• Nursing Career Day – November 30

Videos on preparing for fairs, and advice from alumni/employers:

• http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/careerfairadvice.php

• Blog posting on Career fairs for people not seeking jobs: http://ulife.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/blog/?p=2949



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Penn Career Fair Plus

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Topics for today…

1. What is a career fair?

2. Exploring at career fairs

3. Networking at career fairs

4. Applying at career fairs

5. Resumes for career fairs

6. Career fair do’s and don’ts

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What is a career fair?



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1. An opportunity for employers to connect with future talent

2. An opportunity for employers to increase their presence on campus

3. An opportunity for employers to hire

1. An opportunity for you to connect with future employers (even if you aren’t job hunting right now)

2. An opportunity for you to explore different career paths

3. An opportunity for you to make yourself known by recruiters, managers, Penn alumni at organizations that interest you

4. An opportunity to get a position

– (yes, this happens every year to students/postdocs like you!)

YOU

EMPLOYERS

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What happens at a career fair?• Employers send recruiters and sometimes employees of

departments that are hiring and/or alumni of Penn• Employers answer questions about their firm and their hiring

processes• Employers take in a first impression of you; sometimes they

take your resume

What should be your primary focus?• Building a relationship between you and the company or

organization• The secret to career fairs is treating the event as a networking

opportunity, not like a one‐stop‐shopping expedition

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What are the overall benefits of career fairs?

– An opportunity for you to identify possible career paths, or to rule out unsuitable ones

– An opportunity for you to start thinking about a Plan B in case Plan A does not work out

– An opportunity for you to identify actual steps you can take over the next 6‐12 months to make yourself a better candidate in the future

– An opportunity for you to gain additional information and contacts = networking

– An opportunity for you to practice introducing yourself to employers = networking

– An opportunity to apply for jobs or internships!



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If I’m uncertain about career paths; how are fairs helpful?

– Some fairs have employer presentations associated with them the day before, during the fair, or the day after

– Explore the types of jobs advertised by the employers (e.g., on their website, via Handshake)

– Think about how your skills and experiences match the requirements of the positions, then chat with employers

– Ask informed questions to employers at fairs that can actually give you actionable information…

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“I have a year left of my research, but I am looking to transition into careers in your industry. From my research I know your company values X, and so I was wondering what type of skills you are looking for in candidates?”

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Besides being here, what else should I do to prepare?

– If there are companies/industries at the fairs that you want to learn more about, you need to investigate ahead of time:

• View the list of companies – Activate your Handshake account, visit the Career Services website and use the App

• View the company websites

• Reach out to people in your network to learn more

• View the Vault & Wetfeet industry guides if you do not know the industry (consulting, pharma)

– Know your skills and interests, and be prepared to present your strengths:

• Think about whether you are a good match

• Prepare your resume, and what you will say to employers



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https://upenn.joinhandshake.com/login

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EXPLORENETWORKAPPLY



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EXPLORE

• Review list of registered employers and visit their websites• Look on their careers pages and search by keyword (e.g., PhD)• Refine keyword and do it again• Look at any open positions using Handshake/career fair app• Take note of skills required and job responsibilities• Make a note of these in a networking database• Think of 1‐2 questions about these positions or the employer• Bring questions with you to the career fair• Speak with representatives• Ask questions

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NETWORK (before the fair – at any time)

• Use QuakerNet, LinkedIn, personal networks to find contacts to give you an insider perspective

• Conduct an “informational interview”• Listen carefully and use what you learn to ask more focused

questions to the next person you meet (e.g., at career fair)

• Info on informational interviews:• www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/networking/InfoInterviews.php

• Practice your pitch…

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Your career fair introduction

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Let’s get introduced!

Introduce yourself to your neighbor as you might if you were introducing yourself to an employer

• You have 30 seconds!

• Listen to their 30‐second introduction

• Listen for ways their introduction differs from yours

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Let’s get introduced!

• What were you most interested in hearing about when you were the listener?

• How did you try to structure your own introduction?

• What do you think are the most important topics to cover in 30 seconds?

• How do you end your introduction?



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You are more than your research…

• Your narrative must be relevant to the person who you are talking to – and very concise

• General subjects to address:

– What you do, and how you do it

– Why what you do is important (to your field/the world/to the jobs that interest you within their organization)

At career fairs:• The very specific research you have spent years working on may

not be that important to the person listening.

• Consider: what transferable skill has allowed you to be successful in your line of research? What challenges have you overcome?

• Give an example of how you have used this skill

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• Hello [insert name here – they are wearing name badges]

• Thanks for coming today – I’ve been looking forward to chatting with you. My name is ___, and I am a ____

• Over the last couple of years I have been… [describe something relevant to employer that you do such as research; science writing; PBG projects; Policy work, etc.]

• Given my experience, I have been exploring career options in [add career field] and I am hoping to… [talk about what you are hoping for in the future in terms of your career]

• I’ve seen from your website that…; I recently spoke with one of your colleagues who said… [tell them what you know about their organization]

• I was hoping you could tell me more about [opportunities; projects; culture of organization; etc.], and how you see my experiences as being a good fit

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Let’s get re‐introduced

• Practice helps…

• Find someone else and introduce yourself again

– Listen to their introduction



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NETWORK (during the fair)

• Use your well‐practiced narrative/pitch• Look for employer representatives wearing “alumni” ribbons –

they can give additional insight• Ask your questions

1. Asking employers how your unique skills and knowledge could best be applied at their organization

2. Speaking with Penn alumni or former postdocs who are representing their employers about their own career pathways

• Enjoy the conversation• Take a business card• Ask if you can follow up if you have any additional questions• Follow‐up after the fair to say thanks, and to ask any additional

questions• Add contact information to your networking database

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Some general tips

• Have a plan of action

– Who you will visit, what you want to discuss, what steps will happen after the fair

• Give yourself plenty of time

• Don’t ask these questions:

– “So…, what does your company do?”

– “I don’t have any questions for you, but can I just give you a copy of my resume?”

– “Looking at my resume, what do you think I could do at your company?”

• Don’t just be a generic “Master’s student” “postdoc” or “PhD student”

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APPLY

• All organizations at career fairs have some sort of current or future opportunities – ask them what they have

• Some have specific open positions they are looking to fill



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APPLY

• All organizations at a career fair have some sort of current or future opportunities – ask them what they have


• Tailor resume to advertised positions• Have a general (industry‐focused) resume for other organizations*

*you can have a resume with you even if you aren’t planning on applying…, why?

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Do you have a resume?

If you are not actively job hunting, you don’t really need a resume…, but you might get some feedback on how relevant

your skills, knowledge, and experience are if you do



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APPLY

• All organizations at a career fair have some sort of current or future opportunities – ask them what they have


• Tailor resume to advertised positions• Have a general (industry‐focused) resume for other

organizations

• Ask if you can give them your resume, and if you should also email an electronic version or apply through their website

• Take a business card so you can follow‐up• You can use your thank you email to also attach a copy of your

resume

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Transferable skills

Whether in or out of the scientific field, these are key skills that most employers will be looking for:

– Leadership skills

– Team‐working skills

– Ability to work independently and take the initiative

– Problem‐solving skills

– Ability to learn quickly

– Effective communication skills

– [Specific industries will also look for industry‐specific skills and knowledge]

It is more convincing to talk about these skills when you have examples of them in action achieving outcomes



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Your Graduate/Postdoc Experience

• Interpretation and analysis

• Abstract reasoning and problem solving

• Research

• Synthesis of ideas/concepts

• Communication (verbal/written)

• Self‐management, initiative and motivation

• A questioning mindset

• Ability to express complex information simply

– Especially for those with teaching/mentoring experience

• And many more…

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Resumes = currency of career fairs

• Transactions that occur at career fairs:

– Be prepared to give your resume to employers*

– Always ask for business cards from employers

– Generally, business cards are not given to employers

• Resumes need to be tailored

– At least for industry (e.g., consulting, pharma, R&D)

– Perhaps even for specific employers (based on research on who will be attending fairs)

• Keep it concise; ensure it is easy to read over quickly

*You may have an opportunity to apply formally after the event

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• Contact information*

• Objective

• Summary or profile

• Education*

• Relevant coursework

• Technical skills

• Specialized skills

• Relevant experience*

• Leadership activities

• Service/volunteering

• Honors and awards

• Languages

• Other experience

*required/expected

• Contact information

• Education

• Dissertation/thesis topic

• Postdoc training/fellowships

• Awards

• Research experience

• Publications

• Teaching experience

• Abstracts and presentations

• Symposia/lectures

• Professional affiliations

• Research grants

• Certifications/licensure

• Committee appointments

RESUME (skills) CV (experience)



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Resume speed

• Recruiters may only spend 30 seconds reviewing resumes

– If your skills aren’t obvious then you are not maximizing your chances of getting noticed

• What do you want the main takeaways to be for your resume – what should stick in the reader’s head?

• Quickly look at your resume:

– do you see these takeaways easily?

– Have you illustrated them clearly?

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YOU EMPLOYER

Are you communicating effectively?

RESUME

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YOU EMPLOYER

• Your descriptions do not match what you actually did• You are describing tasks not skills• You are assuming a common knowledge of experience• Your language is problematic (unclear, jargon, too specific)

RESUME



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YOU EMPLOYER

• Your statements are misinterpreted• The reader pictures something different than you do• There is no shared contextual experience• The reader does not understand what is written

RESUME

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Resume = skills in action

Your resume will need to:

– Articulate the match between you and the position type

– Sell your relevant skills, by illustrating them in action

• Good teamwork and management skills

• Worked with team on research projects

• Oversaw progress of team towards completing research

• Oversaw 5‐person team working on research

• Oversaw 5‐person team comprised of researchers from 3 departments by developing action plans for research project, resulting in effective completion of project on‐time and under budget.

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Research skills• Contributed to and led multiple research programs on

redesign and synthesis of antitumor anthraquinonepluraflavin A. Working toward completion of the total synthesis of ET‐743 as well as additional analogs for biological evaluations and structure‐activity relationships.

• Collaborate with several postdoctoral researchers & graduate students to ensure successful & timely project completion

• Manage and mentor 2 undergraduate researchers

• Design lab protocol & revise approaches during research

• Published research on formal synthesis of ET‐743 in 2 peer‐reviewed scholarly journal articles

• Presented research at symposium with over 300 attendees



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Other resume resources

• Resume guide and samples:

– www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/writtenmaterials/

• Vault and Wetfeet guides and other digital resources:

– www.vpul.upenn.edu/secure/careerservices/pennkey/esub.php

– See VPhD and ImaginePhD too

• Carpe Careers blog on Inside Higher Ed website:

– www.insidehighered.com/career‐advice/carpe‐careers

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Career Services has teams of advisors focused on different student/postdoc populations. Set up an appointment through Handshake (or by phone) with your career advisors for more detailed and specific discussions of the career topics

discussed in today’s workshop

PhoneMake advisorappointmentson Handshake

College undergraduates 215 898 7529 YES

Wharton undergraduates 215 898 7533 YES

Engineering students (all degree levels) 215 898 3012 YES

Nursing, GSE, SP2 students 215 898 4381 YES

Graduate students and postdocs in Annenberg, Arts & Sciences, Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs, SEAS, PennDesign, Perelman School of Medicine (BGS), and Wharton Doctoral Programs

215 898 7530 YES

https://upenn.joinhandshake.com

FIND YOUR CAREER ADVISORS

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Do…A perfect introduction – firm handshake and good eye contact!

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Take Care! Consider putting your bags on your left shoulder so they don’t slip

down and knock everything off the table as you reach to shake hands!

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Do…Ask interested, informed questions and express enthusiasm about what

you know – it will help with making a positive impression



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Take Care! Don’t be overly distracted by the knick‐knacks; they are

meant to be a draw for conversation, don’t grab and run…

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Do…Always have plenty of copies of your resume available to hand to employers. Remember, the answer is always Yes!

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Take Care! Cups of liquid have the tendency to spill when you least want them to. Always keep your right hand free to shake hands with the employer.



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Do…Enjoy yourself at career fairs, and always project a positive, lively persona. Employers meet many people, help yourself be noticed.

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Take CareLab coats don’t make the best impression

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Do…Speak clearly and loudly – you have to be heard above the noise.



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Take Care!Do not leave without discussing what the next steps are to follow up. Make sure you get the recruiters name and business card.

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DoWrap up your interaction strongly. Restate that you will follow

up, and then make sure to send a thank you email

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Post Fair Follow up• Good follow up starts at the fair:

– take notes on what you remember from your conversations with the employers (you can use the app)

– For each employer, remember/write down the “what next” part of the conversation

– Keep track of business cards

• If no specific “follow up” was discussed, write thank you emails to the contacts you made that you want to maintain, reminding them of your conversation

• Think about skills you want to develop or industry information you could learn more about. How will you be more prepared for the jobs you want going forward?

– Set up an appointment at Career Services



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What should I bring to a Penn career fair?

– Resumes

– Phone + App (or paper…)

– PennCard

– Smile

– Your student/postdoc colleagues

– Your strategic plan to meet with those employers who you are interested in

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Questions?

Graduate/Postdoctoral Advising TeamCareer Services 215-898-7530

www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerserviceshttps://upenn.joinhandshake.com

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