<p>I am a sophmore in Mechanical engineering, and I have a career fair approaching. This is the first time I will be exploring a co-op. and was just wondering what are some things I should ask the recruiter, etc. Or just some other helpful things. Thanks alot!</p>
<p>Research the company BEFORE you go talk to the people at the fair. I cannot stress that enough. Go on your schools website for the fair and look up what companies will be there and pick out a list to talk to ahead of time, and make sure you know at least the basics of what they do.</p>
<p>As an example, I did 2 internships at Rolls-Royce, and they, almost without fail, would not invite people to have an interview if they walked up to the booth and started talking about cars. For those of you that didn’t know, Rolls-Royce does NOT make cars anymore, they make gas turbine engines. Make sure you know what companies do, and even if think you know, it doesn’t hurt to go and look briefly just in case.</p>
<p>Also, walk up to the booth an introduce yourself and tell them a little bit about you and and your interests. Don’t just say “Hi I am looking for a job at your company” and wait for them to start asking questions. You need to demonstrate that you have a real interest in their field.</p>
<p>Last, make sure you have written an effective resume. Have your career center look at it before you go if you are unsure of it. Having a resume that effectively outlines your credentials can definitely help you out.</p>
<p>Yeah, I have researched the companies that are going and picked out about 10 or so that I am going to focus most of my time on. I had my resume looked at and it seemed alright. I am just unaware of what recruiters want to hear from potential interns.</p>
<p>They want to hear that you have an interest in their industry, that you are passionate about what you do, and that you are competent enough to hire. You can’t really talk up how competent you are without sounding pompous and with as little experience as you probably have this early on so you will have to let your stats do the talking there, but you can approach them with enthusiasm and really let them know that you are interested that way.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>There’s this one company who I interviewed with who would filter out candidates with this criteria first. At the career fair, they will ask if you’re interested in design or construction, but they only do construction. I’ve seen people get rejected immediately just like that. At the actual interviews, they ask the same question again (because somehow someway somebody interested in design gets an interview in construction.)</p>
<p>Know what the company does! Don’t just go down the list of all the companies that are related to your major without knowing the basics.</p>
<p>The way to land an interview is basically the following:</p>
<p>Have a resume focused on results - briefly describe your job functions, but specifically companies look for result oriented people. Worked at XCorp and while there I performed ___ tasks during which time I was ale to generate Y</p>
<p>Have a resume that displays youre NOT just focused on school. ECs, other interests/accomplishments, etc.</p>
<p>When you go up to talk to the recruiter smile! Give a firm handshake and look them in the eye. The first impression is priceless and can say a thousand words about you. I recently went to an information session where the recruiter said they were NOT looking for interns, only full time. However, after really liking what I heard at the information session I went up and talked to the guy. Heres what I did and said Put out my hand with a smile and said Hi my name is XXX and I really liked what you had to say here tonight, I know that youre not looking for interns right now but I am extremely interested in working for your company when I graduate next fall, so if you were to change your mind about an internship - I would love to hear from you .</p>
<p>I got a call two days later from the recruiter who said I sold him that night.</p>
<p>For the interview, yes definitely research the companies. I always spend at LEAST an hour researching a company I am interviewing with - and if it is my #1 company I spend numerous hours. Know their competitors, the big picture of what they do, and how the position youre interviewing for impacts the big picture. Depending on what field/position you are going into the recruiter will look for different things - keep in mind that they are looking for a fit. Know what those things are and display them to the best of your ability. For instance, a technical sales role needs an engineer who is ALSO a people person. Recently I interviewed with companies in the oil industry(work in the field) and they definitely were trying to gauge whether you could handle the extreme hrs and conditions more than they were your intelligence. Other positions require intelligence and a very refined demeanor. The main point here is to display the traits that they are looking for during the interview, and dont be afraid to show your enthusiasm.</p>
<p>To reiterate what the others have said.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Your resume needs to be spotless and clean. No grammatical or spelling errors at all and the recruiter should be able to quickly skim it to get your GPA, graduation date and relevant work/research experience. </p></li>
<li><p>RESEARCH YOUR COMPANIES. Research what they do, the type of engineers they hire and the type of work/industries they are involved with. You don’t need to be an expert but you should be able to have a good idea about the company and it’s businesses.</p></li>
<li><p>Dress to impress–business casual (oxford shirt/pants w/ tie or complete suite). Firm handshake and smile.</p></li>
<li><p>Have a “story” a 30-45 second spiel about who you are, why you are interested, why you are qualified and what you are looking for. Don’t just list off your resume achievements but a concise speech that summarizes the best of you. Tailor this towards each company.</p></li>
<li><p>Pay attention to the recruiter when they talk–don’t focus on what you want to ask/do next. If you did your research you should already be interested. Ask them relevant questions but don’t needlessly schmooge with them. </p></li>
<li><p>Get their card and attend as many information sessions as you can. You want them to remember your face.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Often, companies use the information sessions to gauge who is really interested. They will take your resume at the career fair and then take it again at the info session and then the interview pool comes from those who they have 2 resumes from.</p>