Penn FIND YOUR CAREER ADVISORS. Preparing for Career Fairs. Topics for today. Penn Career Fair Plus

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1 Preparing for Career Fairs Dr. Joseph Barber Senior Associate Director Career Services 1 FIND R CAREER ADVISORS 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 Phone Make advisor appointments on Handshake College undergraduates YES Wharton undergraduates YES Engineering students (all degree levels) YES Nursing, GSE, SP2 students YES Graduate students and postdocs in Annenberg, Arts & Sciences, Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs, SEAS, PennDesign, Perelman School of Medicine (BGS), and Wharton Doctoral Programs YES 2 Penn Career Fair Plus 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 3 4 EMPLOYERS 1. An opportunity for employers to connect with future talent 2. An opportunity for employers to increase their presence of campus 3. An opportunity for employers to hire What is a career fair? 5 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!) 6 1

2 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 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! 7 8 If I m uncertain about career paths; how are fairs helpful? 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 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? 9 10 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

3 EXPLORE NETWORK APPLY 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

4 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 careful 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: Practice your pitch

5 25 26 Practicing your pitch Why are we meeting in this dark, creepy room? Keep smiling and nodding; perhaps he ll make sense eventually Blah blah tripto-2-3-hexase blah blah pseudo poly-resonant cellular pathways blah blah 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? 29 Give an example of how you have used this skill 30 5

6 Hello [insert name here they are wearing name badges] Your career fair introduction 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] 31 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 32 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 33 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 34 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

7 37 38 APPLY All organizations at a career fair have some sort of current or future opportunities ask them what they have Some have specific open positions they are looking to fill 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? 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 APPLY All organizations at a career fair have some sort of current or future opportunities ask them what they have Some have specific open positions they are looking to fill 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 an electronic version or apply through their website Take a business card so you can follow up You can use your thank you to also attach a copy of your resume

8 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 Your PhD Experience Resumes = currency of career fairs 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 45 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 46 Resume speed RESUME (skills) 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 CV (experience) 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 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?

9 RESUME RESUME EMPLOYER EMPLOYER Are you communicating effectively? 49 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) 50 RESUME INTERPRETING R 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 51 R E S U M E S 52 Assisted in 2 conferences Assisted in 2 conferences

10 Assisted in 2 conferences Assisted in 2 conferences 55 EMPLOYER 56 Resume = skills in action Assisted in 2 conferences 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 Assisted in 2 conferences Worked with team on research projects Oversaw progress of team towards completing research Oversaw 5 person team working on research EMPLOYER 57 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. 58 Research skills Get a quick resume review Contributed to and led multiple research programs on redesign and synthesis of antitumor anthraquinone pluraflavin 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 peerreviewed scholarly journal articles Presented research at symposium with over 300 attendees 59 BGS PhD, PSOM Master s students, and BPP postdocs: Walk ins from 12 2pm every Wednesday in the BGS office (160 BRB) All graduate students Walk ins from 12 2pm every Wednesday in the Grad Center (room 303) PennDesign students Walk ins from 12 2pm most Wednesdays in Meyerson Hall Services (McNeil Building): Weekday walk ins from 2 3pm Schedule a 30 minute appointment by calling or using Handshake 60 10

11 FIND R CAREER ADVISORS 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 Phone Make advisor appointments on Handshake College undergraduates YES Wharton undergraduates YES Engineering students (all degree levels) YES Nursing, GSE, SP2 students YES Graduate students and postdocs in Annenberg, Arts & Sciences, Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs, SEAS, PennDesign, Perelman School of Medicine (BGS), and Wharton Doctoral Programs YES 61 Other resume resources Resume guide and samples: Vault and Wetfeet guides and other digital resources: See VPhD too Carpe Careers blog on Inside Higher Ed website: advice/carpe careers 62 Do A perfect introduction firm handshake and good eye contact! 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! Do Ask interested, informed questions and express enthusiasm about what you know it will help with making a positive impression

12 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 Do Always have plenty of copies of your resume available to hand to employers. Remember, the answer is always Yes! 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. Do Enjoy yourself at career fairs, and always project a positive, lively persona. Employers meet many people, help yourself be noticed Do Speak clearly and loudly you have to be heard above the noise. Take Care Lab coats don t make the best impression

13 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. Do Wrap up your interaction strongly. Restate that you will follow up, and then make sure to send a thank you 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 s 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 75 What should I bring to a Penn career fair? Resumes Phone + App (or paper ) PennCard (or CHOP ID) Smile Your student/postdoc colleagues Your strategic plan to meet with those employers who you are interested in 76 Questions? Graduate/Postdoctoral Advising Team Career Services