For students wanting to get an internship or full time job during the upcoming Career Day, the Colorado School of Mines Career Center offers a large amount of helpful advice. To get tips and advice for Career Day, “The Oredigger” talked with Jean Manning-Clark, the Director of the Mines Career Center and Employer Relations, to discuss Career Day.
Having a successful Career Day begins beforehand with research and planning. The Career Center’s “The Mines Strategy” guidebook says, “One of the most common complaints from recruiters is that students don’t research their company before an interview or when they meet them at Career Day.” Researching a company before meeting with them can be done through the company’s website, as well as through Diggernet and the Career Day Program Guide, which features all the employers coming to Career Day. Additionally, the program guide shows the majors and years each company is looking to hire for internships and jobs.
Company research can be kept in the pages of a padfolio for quick reference before talking with a company representative. A padfolio can also be used to keep extra résumé copies. This can be very useful as it may be necessary to hand out multiple résumés at a company’s booth. Manning-Clark recommends that “if you plan to talk with fifteen companies, bring twenty-five copies of your resume.”
The last item to prepare is what the Career center calls your “30-second commercial,” which is essentially a vocalized cover letter.
During Career Day itself, dress professionally, be prepared, and act confidently. Appearance is a large part of one’s first impression, so it is important to be dressed appropriately, be well groomed, and be hygienic. Men should wear either business attire or business casual. Matching socks, shoes that either match the outfit or are darker, and neckties are encouraged. For women, wear a blouse or scooped neck shirt, dress slacks or a skirt no shorter than three inches above the knee, a suit, flats or low heels, no open toed shoes or overly high heels, and minimal jewelry.
During Career Day, it is a good idea to lead with a company and position of lower interest or even a company of no interest to gain some practice and confidence. It is also important to keep in mind that mistakes will happen. Do not get discouraged by any sort of rejection, especially if the rejection is because the recruiter explains that the company is not looking for that major or year. When this happens, it is important to keep in mind that almost a third of the recruiters are changed out for different recruiters for that company and may or may not be the people who created the listing. If this happens, just keep showing interest, leave a resume, and apply online.
Many of the companies coming are government contractors, and as such, are required to have online applications for their positions under Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Even more important than Career Day are the days that follow. Many companies hold interviews during the week following Career Day. These can be confirmed during Career Day itself, found on Diggernet, or through company information sessions. It is also recommended to send a thank you letter with a resume attached to the recruiters who came to Career Day. Their contact information can be found in the Career Day Program Guide under the listing for the company.
