With all the recruiters around the CCO office this week, I took some time to talk to a few and give you some insight into how they think and what they notice about you as a student!
Passion: While speaking with one recruiter, she told me that what she loves about her job is seeing the passion that students have. That passion is what drives her to push a student on to the next round of interviews. When speaking with recruiters, show them your excitement and passion for their company! That’s what they want.
Rushing: Two recruiters I spoke with told me that a lot of students are just in a rush. They rush through career fairs and questions in interviews. Instead of taking the time to really give a good quality answer, they say the first thing that comes to mind. So when answering questions and speaking at fairs, take the time you need! No employer is going to be upset if you take a few seconds to really think about their questions in order to give them a good quality answer!
Forgetfulness: One recruiter stated that he sees a lot of students forget to follow up with recruiters! If a recruiter spends a large amount of time with you or gives you their personal information after an interview, make sure you send them a thank you note! Most recruiters want some sort of a follow up message the day after the interview. If you wait two days, “that’s pushing it.”
Education: When interviewing students, one recruiter mentioned that she noticed that students focus all their energy on highlighting their work experiences. Of course they want to know about your past work experiences but they came to Purdue because they are interested in the education Purdue has provided their students. Make sure that when they ask for examples, you use situations from not only past work but also educational experiences!
Personable: Every recruiter mentioned something about interpersonal communication. Recruiters remember the students that have good interpersonal communication skills and talk about how they have used those skills in the real world. So really stress this in your interviews and while talking with recruiters at Career Fairs.
