Ahead of the Pack

“While things are definitely more competitive these days, you should still focus your efforts on the three or four places where you would like to work.”

Republished from Career Insider
By J.K. Radomski

You’ve always dreamed about taking the business world by storm and believed your confidence and grades would be enough to take you there. But the economy is in a slump and that creates a whole new reality. While jobs are still available, you’re not just competing against your classmates for these coveted spots, but against experienced businesspeople who have been downsized and hungry for work. But fear not. There are many things you can do starting today that will get you noticed and help you get ahead of the pack.

START EARLY

It’s never too early to start thinking about your future career, even if you’ve just finished high school.

“You should attend the fall recruiting events at your school even if you’re only a first year-student because they give you a chance to network with the recruiters who are always scouting for talent,” says Saima Kazi, a recent graduate of York University’s Schulich School of Business who now works as a financial analyst at Kraft Canada. “While you certainly won’t be offered a job when you’re still in your first year, the recruiters who come back year after year will take notice of you and your interest, and there’s a very good chance they will offer you an interview for a summer job.”

[pullquote]You should also be up to date on current events and trends within your chosen profession, as this shows potential employers that you are an informed individual, and may even give you an anecdote or two to use as an icebreaker.[/pullquote]

Most recruiting events and career fairs happen in the fall, so you should also be on the look out for smaller events that take place in the winter semester and the summer. These tend to be less crowded, and often allow you to have more one-on-one face time with recruiters and potential employers.

DO YOUR RESEARCH

While things are definitely more competitive these days, you should still focus your efforts on the three or four places where you would like to work.

Finding a full-time job is hard work, and you don’t want to dilute your efforts by spending valuable time contacting too many employers when you could be targeting the ones where you can really see yourself launching your career.

Doing so will require you do some research to learn as much as you can about the many employers that are hiring. Specifically, you will want to explore: an organization’s corporate culture; the industry sectors you might be working in; whether a company offers any support when it comes to you pursuing a designation; and the kinds of benefits they offer.

Employers can quickly tell the difference between students who are keen and interested in joining their organization, and those who are just looking for a job. They want to make sure the students they hire will fit into their corporate environment and tend to hire the most enthusiastic of the bunch.

“On the surface, a lot of firms look the same, but there are definitely things that distinguish them from each other, so you will want to do your research,” says Cordie Wilson, GTA campus recruitment coordinator for PricewaterhouseCoopers. “Students should get to know the firms and figure out what they like specifically about each one of them. When students tell me that we’re their top choice, and give me specific reasons why, it really makes them stand out. We want to hire the people who know why they want to be here.”

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

Your résumé defines your experiences and who you are, and gives employers a chance to know something about you before actually meeting you. So make sure you’ve put some thought into properly preparing your résumé before you use it to apply for a job.

A résumé should include your education, your work experience, and any relevant extra-curricular activities you may have. It also has to be absolutely perfect. It should be proofed again and again for typos. You don’t want to give an employer the impression that you do not pay attention to details.

“A lot of career centres have excellent resources that teach students what makes a good résumé and cover letter. But the key is to include anything that is relevant to your target profession, such as any related volunteer experience or experience working in a corporate environment,” says Will Christensen, a campus recruitment manager for Deloitte in Calgary. “A good résumé should also include when you expect to graduate and your current GPA. I always tell students to include their GPA because it is a quick indication of their potential, but it is just one of the things we look at.”

You should always make sure that your résumé is up to date, and always bring a few copies with you when attending a recruiting event. You never know if a potential employer will ask to see it.

Also, make sure you include a cover letter when an employer asks you to send them your résumé.

While a cover letter should explain why you are sending your résumé and the job you are applying for, highlights your background and work experience, and states exactly what you’re sending them – your résumé, transcript, a letter of recommendation–it should be addressed to a specific person and tailored to the employer you are sending it to.

“Employers like to hear from potential employees that share common interests. In my case, it was a fondness for technology,” says Mark Chesterman, a financial analyst for Research in Motion and recent graduate from the University of Western Ontario. “They don’t want to see a standardized, generic résumé or cover letter. So show them that you’ve done your research, and focus on any common goals you can think of when writing your cover letter.”

You should also consider printing business cards that you can hand out during networking events, career fairs, and recruiting sessions. Aside from being a great networking tool and giving recruiters something else to remember you by, having a business card suggests that you understand the basics of networking and professional corporate behaviour.

A good business card should include your name, phone number and email address.

While a stack of 500 cards will only cost you between $30 and $50 at your local office supply store, you can also find some affordable deals online. However, investing in a high quality and memorable business card is an investment in your career.

You should also be up to date on current events and trends within your chosen profession, as this shows potential employers that you are an informed individual, and may even give you an anecdote or two to use as an icebreaker.

ATTITUDE IS EVERYTING

If you’ve never attended a recruiting event before, you might want to talk to students who have already met recruiters at past events so you know what to expect.

Then, visualize yourself there and think about what you will do, how you will act, who you will approach, and what you will say.

“There’s no need to be shy. Most recruiters are extremely approachable and easy to talk to,” says Richard Stuart, who recently graduated from the University of British Columbia’s Diploma in Accounting Program and now works as a staff accountant at Ernst & Young. “You should ask someone to play the part of the recruiter so you can practice asking and answering questions. This will make your conversations flow more naturally.”

When going to an event, make sure to dress professionally and wear what you would wear to a job interview, as most recruiting events are really informal job interviews. Make sure to talk to everyone in attendance regardless of their rank within their organization, and hand out your business cards to everyone you meet.

You should also note the name of whom you are talking to, as anyone you connect with can become a valuable ally later on.

“If you feel you’re getting along well with a staff member that’s there, don’t feel the need to rush the conversation to talk to someone else,” says Nick Kaplan, a student at the University of Toronto’s Master of Management and Professional Accounting program who has completed a co-op term with KPMG. “Recruiting coordinators typically ask for input from all staff at these events. Know who you talked to because you might want to drop their name when you contact the lead recruiter in the future.”

You will also want to make sure that you listen actively and attentively to everyone who is speaking with you, that you never interrupt someone when they are talking, that you always make eye contact with the person speaking, and that you comment on what they’ve said to show them that you’ve been listening.

You should also feel free to speak about your accomplishments with a sense of pride, and project confidence while doing so, but you have to be careful to not come cross as too eager.

“While it is important to be professional, you should also try to connect with a recruiter or interviewer on a personal level. You have to learn how to make appropriate small talk, so your personality and interests come through,” says Simon Fraser University student James Proctor who spent his summer interning at KPMG. “You want to make the people you meet feel comfortable with the idea of working with you each day.”

These events also provide you with the opportunity to ask a lot of questions. While you will already have done your research and have an idea of where you might want to work, you should use these recruiting events to interview your potential employer so you can get a better idea about them.

“Ask questions that are engaging and intelligent. Use these events to learn about the challenges people face in their roles, and what they like and dislike about their workplace,” says Chris Firka, a financial analyst for Manulife Financial and a recent graduate from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.

FOLLOW-UP

Recruiters will speak with hundreds of students each day, and visit several schools every week in the fall. So while they might have your résumé and business card on file, you don’t want to get lost in the shuffle.

So follow up the next morning with a short one-paragraph email, or mail the recruiter a short note or “thank you” card.

“Following up with people afterwards shows how much you really want the job, and recruiters are more likely to choose someone with initiative than a person who is less proactive,” says Mireille Dimitry, a financial analyst for Transport Canada who recently graduated from Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business. Make sure to mention some of the things you discussed and connected on, as you thank the recruiter for taking the time to meet with you. Good manners and etiquette still go a very long way, and will definitely put you ahead of the pack.