Career
Fairs
Do’s and don’ts for networking and HireVue interviews!
Networking do’s and don’ts
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Research the companies ahead of time
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Dress: Business Professional
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Bring 10-15 UPDATED resume copies in a binder or any nice folder​
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Prepare an elevator pitch
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(A general blurb about past work experiences, in school activities, or even personal interests & your interests in the company)
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Have specific questions ready
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​This shows you know what you’re talking about and what you’re interested in
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Find something that sets you apart from your classmates and mention it during your conversation
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Follow up with companies that you were interested in (most recruiters hand out business cards
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Write a thank you letter OR reach out for a possible coffee chat/zoom call to talk about job opportunities​
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If you are chatting through Zoom, make sure you have:
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Stable Wi-Fi​
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Dress Professionally
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Do's
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Don't ask for an internship upfront
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Don't ask the recruiters what their company is
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Don't dress in casual clothing
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Don't walk around the career fair with your friends (make sure to act professionally)
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Don't go to the career fair without having an interest
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Don't go to the career fair without knowing about the companies attending
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Don't speak too casually with the recruiters (keep it in the business scope)
DON'TS
Hirevue interview tips and tricks
Tip 1
Make sure you appear properly on the screen and that your surroundings are free of any distractions
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Camera view should include your entire head down to around your chest
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Maintain good eye contact and posture. Sit a decent distance away from your screen (~3 feet). This way it’s harder for the person watching to tell where your eyes are looking compared to if you are sitting right in front of the camera
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Have a solid-colored background, good lighting, etc
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Tip 3
Have a glass of water next to you and a larger water bottle to refill that water
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Non-branded Glass makes you seem more professional
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Applicable to virtual interviews in general
Tip 5
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Warm-up your voice beforehand if you haven’t really been talking during that day
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Wear full business clothes, don’t wear sweats or shorts just because it’s not in the camera view.
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Tip 2
Practice!​
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Pretty much all HireVues or recorded interviews will give you the option to do practice questions in the beginning, definitely do these especially if it’s your first time
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HireVues can be uncomfortable because you’re not talking to an actual person, so it’s easy to be more scripted and rigid with your answers; however, keep in mind that a real person does review them, so try your best to imagine that you are just having a normal conversation with someone watching from the other side
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Tip 4
Make sure you have read the instructions thoroughly before you begin
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Almost every company does their HireVues slightly different (ex: the different amounts of times to prepare or the number of tries). Make sure that you know exactly what the format is so you’re not caught off guard when you start
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For the companies that give you two tries, you can choose to watch your first response for as long as you want. You can take that time to continue thinking through your answer or practicing if you weren’t confident with your first response
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