Jasmine Lee Blog 3

So now that I pulled resumes for the career fair, and my employer had gotten the half-hour interview slots filled during the fair, it was time to attend of few and see what it’s like on the other side – from the employer’s perspective. I was so excited to go to a career fair and not be the nervous student stumbling around talking to employers like I was a semester earlier. It was great being on the other side and seeing it all from a whole new angle. I watched as students nervously and cautiously passed by and as others confidently stepped up to talk to us and sell themselves and their skills.

Recruiting requires a large range of skills. The biggest is selling, especially at career fairs when you’re competing with numerous companies and others very similar to you. You have to really sell your company and your people, and when you’re in the financial industry, that can be tough since many students don’t fully understand it. Heck, I still don’t completely understand it.  The recruiters have had so much experience talking the company up though, that they have all their stories and experiences down and are fantastic at selling the company. It was amazing seeing them in action and talking to students. I only hope I can be as great at communicating as effectively as they can. 

This was a wonderful experience to hear more about the company’s positions and see how the recruiters communicated with students. It’s true when they say good communication is key, both on the recruiting side and the job seeking side. It’s incredible how some students stood out in comparison to others – and it was largely due to their excellent communication skills. So if I have any advice to give, it would be to brush up on those skills, no matter how proficient they already might be.

During one of the fairs that week, I got to sit in on some interviews and see how that process goes. It was interesting seeing how they structure them and how they make candidates feel comfortable as to not stress them out even more. However, it is just as stressful for the employers as it is students when they’re searching for the perfect fit. There is a whole lot more that goes into the recruiting process than it seems. This next week, I’ll get to sit in on some interviews at SCSU and see more of their process. Stay tuned for what that’s like!