The Graduate Baruchian

Finally, summer is in full swing. School is out (at least for those who opted out of summer session), the weather is hot, the water is cold, and the beach is calling your name. The only things you should be concerned with are the quality of your tan and the flavor of your ice cream. However, the HR department of your dream company is not so relaxed. They have already been planning for the upcoming recruiting season in September and they are ready to show you what they have to offer. The question is – will you be ready for them?

Recruitment season is a stressful time for everyone. The best way to relieve the stress is to be prepared. The last thing you want is to go into career fairs, information sessions, or interviews looking disorganized and flustered. So for those too hot or too rainy days for the rest of the summer, I suggest the following steps to make sure you come into recruitment season looking like the number one candidate you are.

1. Get a Zicklin CareerLink account – This website is where you will apply for all of your positions and schedule your interviews. Companies will begin posting full-time jobs and internship positions starting as early as August 2011. You can sign up for an account by calling the Graduate Career Management Center (GCMC) at 646-312-1300.

2. Update your resume – The GCMC likes to see your resume in a specific format when going through On Campus Recruitment (OCR). Take your time to go to the GCMC website and take a look at their templates. Most importantly, remember to fit your resume onto one page.

3. Attend the required workshops – In order to participate in OCR, the GCMC requires you to complete three workshops: Recruiting 101, Resume Review, and a Mock Interview OR Interviewing Strategies Workshop. Once you have completed these you can start applying for OCR positions. You may sign up for these workshops on Zicklin CareerLink throughout the summer through September 21st, 2011.

4. Think about your personal elevator speech – This is the most important piece of this puzzle. Once you start attending the information sessions you will be meeting recruiters and managers alike. Start thinking about your 30 second pitch before you get there and show them how you will be a valuable addition to their company.

By getting these things done early you save yourself the stress of having to get them done while starting a new semester. By being prepared before information sessions and career fairs you can spend more time networking with the right people which will help you land the interview for your dream job. Recruitment season is all about how you sell yourself. Don’t go into this season hiding behind your resume. Instead, get your paperwork out of the way and start figuring out how you will make that lasting first impression.

Have a great summer my fellow Baruchian. Good luck!