10/19/2018. Preparing for the BioSciences Career Fair. Search for Career Fair Plus. University of Pennsylvania

Transcription

1 Preparing for the BioSciences Career Fair Dr. Joseph Barber Senior Associate Director Career Services 1 2 Search for Career Fair Plus 1. Exploring careers at career fairs 2. Networking at career fairs 3. Applying for positions at career fairs 4. Resumes for career fairs 5. Career fair do s and don ts 6. Winning at career fairs 3 1

2 What is a career fair? 4 EMPLOYERS 1. An opportunity for employers to connect with future talent 2. An opportunity for employers to improve their on-campus branding and to create a recruiting pipeline 3. An opportunity for employers to hire YOU 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/penn alumni at organizations that interest you 4. An opportunity to get a position (yes, this happens every year to students/postdocs like you!) 5 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/organization The secret to career fairs is treating the event as a networking opportunity, not like a one-stop-shopping expedition 6 2

3 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 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! Getting names of people you can include in cover letters 7 If I m uncertain about career paths; how are fairs helpful? You can attend employer presentations during the BioSciences Career Fair 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 on how to apply 8 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 3

4 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 and their positions on Handshake View the company websites Reach out to people in your network to learn more 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

5 EXPLORE NETWORK APPLY & WIN 15 5

6 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 Take note of skills required and job responsibilities Make a note of these in your networking database Think of 1-2 questions about these positions or the employer Bring questions with you to the career fair Attend info sessions Speak with representatives Ask questions minute information sessions given by employers in an adjacent conference room during the career fair Times to be confirmed: Consulting: Alcimed Charles River Associates Herspiegel Consulting Science Writing: PharmaWrite ICON CHC Group Research Square Pharma: CSL Behring Regeneron Pfizer Research: GENEWIZ VWR International GenScript 18 6

7 50% of networking is gathering information you can use to achieve your career goals RESEARCH PERSONAL BRANDING 50% is sharing information about yourself with others to achieve your career goals 19 Identifying your networking goals: Research and information gathering: Find out about different types of jobs, firms, career paths Learn from the experiences of others in your field Learn about skills necessary to do the jobs Learn about the culture of different organizations Learn about resources and best practices to help you Learn how to apply and interview successfully Network building and personal branding: Share information about your skills, strengths, and interests Demonstrate the value you can add Showcase your motivation and energy Find opportunities to help others 20 Practicing your pitch 21 7

8 Developing one version of your professional pitch for networking Goals: seconds Shares relevant information (can be adapted based on situation) Promotes additional conversation Helps people to remember something about you once you leave 22 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 23 Your career fair introduction 24 8

9 You are more than your research Your narrative must be relevant to the person who you are talking to and 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 25 A general second introduction might include: The role you play (not your title) The skills you are using The problem that you are solving Your future goals What you know about the employer And then A question to get the conversation started 26 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 [skill, not title] 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 27 9

10 STEP 1 Your name: Don t rush this Consider the reverse James Bond approach you can mention your first name twice to increase the chance it will be heard and remembered Hi, I m James, James Bond 28 STEP 2 What you are, what you do: Think about a theme that describes how you do what you do Think about what problems you solve rather than what you do I am trying to discover how our own cells can be reprogrammed to fight cancer by combining innovative computational approaches with an exciting international collaboration with labs in three different scientific disciplines 29 STEP 3 Tell a brief story: People remember stories more easily than factual statements Effective stories should show your skills and expertise in action Keep the story brief! 30 10

11 STEP 3 Tell a brief story: I just got back from France where I was helping our collaborators in a bioengineering lab figure out why their data didn t match ours, and I really enjoyed helping them troubleshoot the process they were using we ll be writing about the solutions we came up with in a new paper over the next few months 31 STEP 4 Bring your listener into the conversation, then ask a question: No-one wants to listen to a 2-minute monologue Effective networking is achieved through engaging conversations The more you learn about your listener, then better you can tailor the conversation to be of interest to them Your goal is to make the person you are interacting with feel positive about the conversation. They will associate this positive feeling with you Get your listener talking 32 I saw from the job posting in Handshake that your current analyst opening is focused on market research in the oncology space. I have had some experience in this through a student-run consulting project here at Penn, but I would love to hear more about this position, and the types of skills you are looking for 33 11

12 What are your 3 main takeaways? What should someone remember about you a week from now? 34 NETWORK Use your well-practiced narrative/pitch Look for employer representatives wearing alumni ribbons they are mostly PhDs, and 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 35 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 postdoc or PhD student 36 12

13 First impressions are made by: How you are dressed Your body language What you say How you interact with others

14 40 41 Handshaking the right way Face the person, with good eye contact, when reaching out Have dry hands Keep your thumb pointing up Move your hands forward firmly; don t squeeze until the web of your hand has firmly engaged with the web of your partner s hand Use a firm grip the type you use when holding a door handle Don t bring your hand in from the side as if you are slapping someone on the back The shake should last 2-3 seconds, with 1-3 up-and-downs Shake from your elbow; you don t need to engage your shoulder to do any heavy lifting Maintain eye contact during the shake 42 14

15 Your career fair checklist 1. Find the BioSciences Career Fair on Handshake: 2. Browse the various employers who have registered, and take a closer look at their open positions 3. Think about some of your career fair goals. Are you exploring, networking, looking for information, checking in with employers you have already interacted with, or applying? You might be doing something slightly different with each employer 4. Create a list of employers at each fair that you want to connect with, and organize it with your favorite employers at the top 5. Do research on all of the employers you have listed. Look at their website to know what they do and how they do it. Look at the jobs that they have posted on Handshake. Look at the jobs they have posted beyond Handshake. Create a list of smart questions you want to ask 6. Practice the introduction you want to use for different employers aloud, and do it several times until it sounds and feels natural 7. Think about what you want to wear. Your appearance should be similar to the appearance of the representatives from the employers you are most interested in 8. Have a good resume to share. Get it reviewed by a career advisor before you go to the fair 9. Don t start by handing someone your resume start with a strong handshake and good eye contact. All employers have name tags on, so you can even start with a Hello Julie, thanks for being here today. 10. Introduce yourself, ask some smart questions, have an energetic discussion, consider sharing your resume, ask for a business card, and offer to follow-up with an electronic version of your materials. 11. Thank them, shake their hands, and move on with a smile! 12. Within 24 hours, and using the address from their business cards, send an thanking them, telling them why you found your conversation helpful, and sharing anything that you said you would share EXPLORE NETWORK Career fairs are relevant to PhD students/postdocs in ALL stages of program/appointment Encourage your lab mates who aren t currently looking for jobs to attend this event as well. Their future self will thank you Networking = relationship building = takes time 45 15

16 Listen to the advice you were given go to the career fair Your lab mate Their very happy future self 46 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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18 52 53 APPLY 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? 54 18

19 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 55 APPLY You can share a resume for their information, but you will want to submit an updated version through Handshake, their website, and by Take a business card so you can follow-up You can use your thank you to also attach a copy of your resume 56 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 will have an opportunity to apply formally after the event 57 19

20 RESUME (skills) Contact information Education Relevant experience Skills 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 58 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? 59 RESUME YOU EMPLOYER Are you communicating effectively? 60 20

21 RESUME 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/research Your language is problematic (unclear, jargon, too specific) 61 My research focuses on elements of interspatial, surface-to-surface binding that has a critical function in nanoscale friction, and relates to a broader understanding of sub-surface matter stratification 62 Managed 3 collaborative projects spanning materials science and physics labs to develop innovative assessments of friction between nanoscale surfaces, resulting in 2 co-author publications 63 21

22 RESUME 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 64 Assisted with analysis of dataset using random forest algorithms Participated in collaborative efforts to understand the accuracy of lab-on-chip tools in cancer assessment Held office hours

23 Assisted in 2 projects YOU 67 Assisted in 2 projects YOU 68 Assisted in 2 projects YOU 69 23

24 Communication Strategic planning Team work across disciplines Assisted in 2 projects Ability to successfully complete 2 projects within a short timeframe YOU 70 Assisted in 2 projects EMPLOYER 71 Assisted in 2 projects Assisted in 2 projects EMPLOYER 72 24

25 When talking about EXPERIENCE Skill Situation Outcome Skill = active doing verb (taught, researched, solved ) that is directly relevant to the reader/position you are interested in Situation = enough context to make the skill make sense without distracting reader from the skill Not just analyzed data think type, amount, method used Outcome = the result of you using that particular skill in that context (e.g., paper, presentation, new collaboration, more efficient approach, new insight, finished project ) 73 Skills in action Be skill & Good teamwork and management skills outcome specific add quantifiable elements to make Worked with team on research projects your experiences believable 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 ontime and under budget. 74 SPELLING MISTEAKS Why are these so important? Attention to detail Effective communication Distracting from actual content of CV/resume Why do these happen? Your brain falls asleep after reading your own materials for the 100 th time (resume blindness) You haven t selected the option in Word to spellcheck words in ALL CAPITLES You haven t had a critique from a career advisor 75 25

26 Common errors PROFESSIONAL EXPEREINCE PROFESIONAL EXPERIENCE Words that are spelt correctly but that are not the right words: From/form; asses/assess; discuss/discus; is/if What is more important at a career fair, you or your resume? 78 26

27 79 80 What you learn from a career fair discussion can be integrated into the resume you actually use to apply for an opportunity 81 27

28 Using your resume at a career fair 1. Have the best version of your resume for the fair (sometimes more than one version) 2. Make a solid introduction (handshake v. resume) 3. Share your relevant skills and experiences 4. Demonstrate knowledge of the company and their opportunities 5. Ask smart questions 6. Share you resume point to something in particular 7. Ask for a business card 8. Offer to send an electronic version that may be updated based on their answers to your questions, and ask about any formal application process 9. Send a thank you within 24 hours, and possibly attach an updated version of your resume 10. Apply online as appropriate 82 Notes for candidate profile database, not for application

29 Do A perfect introduction firm handshake and good eye contact! 85 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! 86 Do Ask interested, informed questions and express enthusiasm about what you know it will help with making a positive impression 87 29

30 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 88 Do Always have plenty of copies of your resume available to hand to employers. Remember, the answer is always Yes! 89 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

31 Do Enjoy yourself at career fairs, and always project a positive, lively persona. Employers meet many people, help yourself be noticed. 91 Take Care Lab coats don t make the best impression 92 Do Speak clearly and loudly you have to be heard above the noise

32 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. 94 Do Wrap up your interaction strongly. Restate that you will follow up, and then make sure to send a thank you 95 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 96 32

33 What should I bring to the BioSciences Career Fair? Resumes Phone with Career Fair Plus app PennCard (or CHOP ID) Smile Your lab mates Your other PhD/postdoc colleagues Your strategic plan 97 EXPLORE NETWORK APPLY & WIN 98 WIN 99 33

34 Questions?